Markbass Nano Mark II Head

I spent several weeks using the Harley Benton Block-800B as my go-to compact head for rehearsals and small club gigs, and what struck me first was its sheer practicality - high power in a tiny, lightweight package. My use case was simple: a portable, road-ready Class-D head that I could toss into my gig bag but that still delivered stage-worthy low end and flexible routing for DI and effects.

First Impressions

The Block-800B looks like a purposeful little brick - no frills, matte finish, and a compact footprint that made it disappear into my gear stack. It felt remarkably solid at 2.9 kg and the controls are laid out logically, so I was dialed in quickly; the four-band EQ and dedicated compressor make finding usable tones fast. Out of the box I noticed the unit gets loud quickly and stays controlled thanks to the Class-D topology and the built-in compressor.

Design & Features

The Block-800B packs more connectivity than its size implies - speaker Twist outputs, DI with pre/post and ground lift, tuner out, headphone jack, FX loop and a line input with level control. The high/low switch for active versus passive basses is a welcome touch because it saved me from fussing with gain structure when I swapped instruments mid-session. The physical controls feel competent rather than premium, but they do their job and the mute and tuner outputs are practical for gig workflows.

Build Quality & Protection

At 2.9 kg and roughly 240 x 255 x 88 mm, the Block-800B is engineered with portability in mind and it shows - the chassis is compact and the finish resists scuffs well during transport. I didn’t baby it during my testing and there were no rattles or loose parts, which gave me confidence for regular use. The lack of a rack form factor is a trade-off if you want rack mounting, but the unit’s robust feel belies its budget price.

Playability & Usability

Getting tones with the Block-800B is straightforward - the 4-band EQ is responsive, the compressor is effective and musical, and the high/low voicing switch helps the head sit well with both active and passive pickups. I appreciated having a separate line in and headphone output for practice sessions; the headphone output was handy for quiet rehearsals and the tuner out avoided awkward front-of-house tuning moments. For live gigs the mute and DI pre/post options made routing to the PA painless.

Real-World Experience

I used the Block-800B with a 4-ohm 4x10 cabinet for bar and club gigs and with a smaller 1x12 for rehearsal; in both setups the head produced tight low end and plenty of headroom. At stage volumes it stayed articulate, with enough mid presence to cut through a full band without sounding honky or thin. The DI worked reliably for direct FOH sends and the ground-lift switch saved me from a hum issue once during a show, which was a relief.

The Trade-Offs

This is a focused, value-oriented head rather than a high-end sonic sculpting workstation - if you want ultra-detailed tone shaping or integrated effects beyond the compressor and FX loop, this isn’t the place. The control knobs are functional but not luxurious, and if you push it to the extremes you’ll hear the limits of its budget price in the form of reduced nuance compared to boutique preamps. Also, there’s no rack ears included, so rack users will need adapters or a shelf.

Final Verdict

The Harley Benton Block-800B is a strikingly practical choice for players who need real stage power without hauling weight or spending a fortune - it gives 800 W at 4 ohm and enough routing options to cover rehearsal, recording and live duties. I’d recommend it for gigging bassists, touring session players who prioritize portability, and anyone upgrading from small practice heads who needs more punch. If you need boutique tone shaping or integrated multi-effects, look elsewhere, but for straightforward, loud, portable bass amplification the Block-800B is hard to beat for the money.

I'm coming at the Alpha·Omega 900 as a gigging bassist who wanted a single head that could do pristine clean, huge modern low-end, and an on-board distortion that could survive both rehearsal and recording without patching in a ton of outboard gear. In practice the AO900 proved itself as a brutally capable, surprisingly compact 900-watt Class D head with impressive tonal flexibility and direct-recording features that made it useful on stage and in the studio.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed was how light and unassuming the unit is - it feels nothing like a traditional heavyweight bass head but it still exudes quality in the knobs, buttons and finish. Powering it up for the first time I ran clean into a 4x10 and then engaged the Alpha·Omega engine - the clean side was tight and articulate, while the drive section offered a huge range from warm grit to full-on modern saturation; setup felt immediate and inspiring once I spent time with the Blend, Drive and Mod controls.

Design & Features

Darkglass packed a surprising amount into a small chassis - the unit ships with a VCA compressor, a 6-band graphic EQ, passive/active input switch, dual Alpha/Omega drive circuits with Blend and Mod controls, pre/post XLR DI outs, three user-loadable IR slots, MIDI input, an effects loop, headphone out and an aux input for practice. The back panel gives you dual TS/SpeakON speaker outputs that allow 4-ohm or 2-ohm configurations and a micro-USB connection for the Darkglass Suite, which is how you manage IRs and deeper routing functions. All of that made it obvious this was designed both for loud live use and DI-first recording workflows.

Build Quality & Protection

Even though it is lightweight, the AO900 feels robust - the chassis is well finished, controls have a nice resistance and the rear connectors are solidly mounted. The fan is actively cooled and the manual warns about ventilation - I found the smart fan control keeps noise down at low volumes, but under heavy loads you do hear the fan, which is normal for this power class. There are sensible protections and a ground-lift option on the DI which I used when linking to house PA systems.

Playability & Usability

The control layout is logical: the Alpha·Omega engine sits before the clean section so you can sculpt distortion and then use the 6-band EQ and Master to fit into a mix. The on-board compressor is a one-knob VCA style - effective for evening out dynamics and adding sustain, but if you want deep compressor parameter control you'll still reach for a pedal. The supplied intelligent footswitch lets you toggle modes from the floor, and the micro-USB/Darkglass Suite integration made storing IRs and MIDI presets straightforward once I connected it to my laptop.

Real-World Experience

I used the AO900 across rehearsal, a few small club gigs and some direct recording sessions. At rehearsal it was effortless to push through a 4x10 and still have headroom - the low end stayed controlled even when I dialed in heavier drive. For direct recording the pre/post DI XLRs and the ability to load IRs on board were invaluable - I could send a tight DI with the post-processed sound to FOH and a clean pre-DI to my interface for later reamping. On stage it was loud and immediate - the Alpha setting gave that defined, mid-forward clarity while Omega added weight and fuzz; blending them let me craft tones from subtle edge to heavy grit.

The Trade-Offs

There are a few compromises - the compressor is simple rather than tweakable, so players who want detailed attack/release shaping will miss that. The drive engine is powerful and can be fussy - it rewards time spent dialing-in rather than quick, one-knob fixes, and very low B notes on some extended-range basses may need attention to gain and EQ to avoid unwanted fuzz when pushing the gain hard. Finally, the unit runs warm under heavy load - I recommend leaving airflow and cooling in mind on long festival sets.

Final Verdict

The Alpha·Omega 900 is a superb tool for players who need serious stage volume, modern, defined tone and integrated distortion without carrying a separate preamp and pedalboard. I would recommend it to metal, hard rock and modern players who want a lightweight head that doubles as a direct-recording workstation; tonal breadth and the IR/DI features make it studio-capable as well. If you need vintage warmth or a very tweakable compressor, you might prefer other designs, but if you want tight modern punch and a world-class distortion engine in a tiny package, this is one of the best options in its class.