Available Now at Northeast Music Center!
Big-stage bass power without the big-stage weight. The MESA/Boogie Subway D-800 paired with the Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 Vertical creates an exceptionally well-matched professional bass rig: 800 watts into a 4-ohm, 800-watt cabinet loaded with two responsive Neodymium 12-inch speakers. It's powerful, articulate, portable, and unmistakably MESA.
The MESA/Boogie Subway D-800 was an important amplifier for MESA—the company's first ultra-lightweight professional Class D bass head. At only 5.5 pounds, it delivers 800 watts at 4 or 2 ohms, backed by a straightforward solid-state preamp with a fully active 4-band EQ, Variable Voicing control, Deep switch, professional XLR DI, and everything a working bassist needs without unnecessary complexity.
Pair it with the Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 Vertical, and the numbers line up beautifully. The cabinet is 4 ohms, handles 800 watts RMS, and allows the D-800 to deliver its full rated 800-watt output into a single cabinet.
Available from Northeast Music Center, this package is an excellent choice for the bassist who wants a serious, high-output MESA rig that remains practical enough to transport night after night.
• MESA/Boogie Subway D-800 Bass Amplifier Head
• MESA/Boogie Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 Vertical Bass Cabinet
• Full 800-watt output into the included 4-ohm cabinet
• Solid-state preamp
• Lightweight Class D power section
• Active/Passive input switch
• Variable Voicing control — Flat to Vintage Scoop
• Fully active 4-band EQ
• ±12dB Bass, Low-Mid, High-Mid & Treble
• Deep switch for enhanced low-end response
• Play/Mute switch
• Balanced XLR Direct Output
• Pre/Post DI selection
• Mic/Line DI level selection
• XLR Ground Lift
• Headphone output
• Auxiliary input
• Protection and Limit LED indicators
• 2 × SpeakON speaker outputs
• Fan cooled
• D-800 gig bag with shoulder strap included
• 2 × Subway Neodymium 12" speakers
• High-frequency horn with premium attenuator
• Tuned front-ported Tri-Porting™ cabinet
• 4-ohm cabinet impedance
• 800-watt RMS cabinet power handling
• 100.2dB average sensitivity
• 129.7dB maximum SPL
• Lightweight Italian poplar construction
• Fitted cabinet slipcover included
• Built in Petaluma, California
One of the strongest selling points of this package is how naturally the two components work together.
The Subway D-800 produces:
800 Watts @ 4 Ohms
800 Watts @ 2 Ohms
400 Watts @ 8 Ohms
The Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 Vertical is:
4 Ohms
and rated at:
800 Watts RMS.
That means the D-800 can deliver its full 800-watt rated output into this single 2x12 cabinet.
No second cabinet is necessary to access the amplifier's full rated power.
One head.
One cabinet.
800 watts.
That's a beautifully straightforward professional bass rig.
The D-800 represented a major step for MESA/Boogie.
MESA describes it as the company's first ultra-lightweight professional-level Class D bass amplifier, combining the portability modern working bassists demanded with the power and tonal flexibility expected from the MESA name.
And the portability is remarkable.
The amplifier weighs just:
5.5 lbs.
Yet it can deliver:
800 watts.
That's the kind of power-to-weight ratio that fundamentally changed what a professional bass rig could look like.
The original D-800 takes a refreshingly direct approach to tone shaping.
You get:
Bass
Low Mid
High Mid
Treble
with up to ±12dB of active adjustment, plus the Variable Voicing control and Deep switch.
This gives you enough control to shape the amplifier around different basses, cabinets, rooms, and musical styles without turning the front panel into an engineering project.
Sometimes that's exactly what a working bassist wants.
Plug in.
Dial the gain.
Shape the EQ.
Play.
One of the D-800's defining controls is its Variable Voicing circuit.
Instead of giving you only a fixed EQ preset, the control moves progressively from a flatter response toward a more pronounced vintage-style scooped character.
That makes it easy to change the overall personality of the amplifier quickly.
Want the natural voice of your bass and cabinet front and center?
Stay toward Flat.
Want a more sculpted response with a broader, vintage-inspired character?
Bring in the Voicing control.
It's simple, musical, and extremely useful.
Need additional low-frequency authority?
Engage the Deep switch.
MESA designed it specifically to enhance the D-800's low-end response.
With a cabinet as substantial as the Subway 2x12, that can produce an enormous bass sound.
And because the cabinet has the power handling to match the amplifier, you've got a speaker system designed to make use of what the D-800 can deliver.
The Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 uses:
2 × MESA Subway Neodymium 12-inch speakers.
MESA describes the cabinet's personality as blending the punch players associate with 10-inch speakers, the warmth and fullness associated with larger drivers, and an organic midrange that works particularly well for pick-style bass playing.
That's one reason the 2x12 format has become such a compelling choice.
You get substantial low-frequency authority without giving up articulation and midrange definition.
This isn't simply a lightweight cabinet designed for rehearsals.
MESA rates the Subway 2x12 at:
100.2dB average sensitivity
and:
129.7dB maximum SPL @ 1 meter.
Combined with the D-800's full 800-watt output, that's a rig capable of serious stage performance.
Compact footprint.
Big output.
Exactly what the Subway concept was intended to accomplish.
The 2x12 uses MESA's tuned front-ported Tri-Porting™ enclosure architecture.
The cabinet is constructed from lightweight Italian poplar and engineered specifically around its Neodymium drivers, high-frequency system, and porting.
Published low-frequency performance reaches:
F3 – 57Hz
F6 – 49.1Hz
F10 – 43.5Hz
with high-frequency response extending beyond:
12kHz.
That gives the cabinet the bandwidth needed for everything from traditional passive basses to modern active and extended-range instruments.
The cabinet also incorporates a dedicated high-frequency horn with premium attenuation control.
That gives you control over the amount of upper-frequency detail in your stage sound.
Bring it up for:
Slap.
Active electronics.
Bright roundwounds.
Pick attack.
Effects.
Or roll it back when you're looking for a warmer, more traditional presentation.
The cabinet doesn't force one personality on every bassist.
The D-800 was designed for professional stage and recording environments.
Its balanced XLR Direct Output includes:
Pre/Post selection
Mic/Line level selection
Ground Lift.
That means you can use the Subway 2x12 for your stage sound while simultaneously sending a clean, professional signal directly to front of house.
For modern gigs, that's often the ideal arrangement.
The cabinet gives you the feel and physical response you want onstage.
The PA receives a controlled DI signal.
Here's one of the most impressive numbers.
The D-800 weighs:
5.5 lbs.
The Subway 2x12 weighs:
52 lbs.
So the complete amplifier-and-cabinet system weighs approximately:
57.5 pounds.
That's the entire rig.
An 800-watt professional MESA bass amplifier and an 800-watt 2x12 cabinet at under 60 pounds combined.
For a bassist loading in and out several nights a week, that's a meaningful advantage.
Both the D-800 and Subway Ultra-Lite 2x12 were built in Petaluma, California.
The amplifier uses a lightweight aluminum chassis.
The cabinet uses lightweight Italian poplar and Neodymium speakers.
The goal isn't simply to make the equipment lighter.
It's to remove unnecessary weight while maintaining the performance required by professional players.
That's an important distinction to us at Northeast Music Center.
This package represents exactly what made the Subway series so appealing.
You get:
800 watts of MESA power.
Two Neodymium 12-inch speakers.
A 4-ohm cabinet that lets the amplifier deliver its full rated output.
Professional DI connectivity.
Extensive but straightforward EQ.
And a complete amp-and-cabinet system weighing approximately 57.5 pounds.
At Northeast Music Center, we'd recommend this rig to the bassist who doesn't need complicated features simply for the sake of having them.
The D-800 is powerful.
Straightforward.
Musical.
And remarkably portable.
Pair it with the Subway 2x12 and you've got a complete bass system capable of moving serious air without becoming a serious problem when it's time to load the car.
5.5-pound head. 52-pound cabinet. Two Neodymium 12s. Full 800-watt output.
That's the Subway D-800 philosophy in one complete rig.
Northeast Music Center is a full line Music retailer located in Northeast Pennsylvania- We are an Authorized Mesa Boogie Dealer and purchase these products direct from MESA HEADQUARTERS IN PETALUMA CALIFORNIA. We do not obtain our MESA AMPLIFIERS or other MESA products from "jobbers" or other dealers. Our MESA AMPLIFIERS AND CABINETS come to you in the factory boxes with factory packing material. We will, upon request, and also randomly, open the box prior to shipping to check that all contents are included and that no damage has been found in shipping from MESA to our Store location. Northeast Music Center does reserve the right to sell these products in our store to daily walk in customers. It is our goal to always have this product in stock and if for any reason we sell out, we will reorder immediately as long as this MESA AMPLIFIER is currently produced for resale by the company. We will order the amplifier in a ample quantity to fill your order. It is our goal to make your experience a good one; We invite you to ask any and all questions about this product. Please do not purchase this item if you can not pay. This is a new Mesa with full 5 Year factory warranty to the Original Owner. 3 Year Warranty on Speakers.
