To me, one of the most important parts of buying a bass is that it is comfortable to play. I've played many basses, but my Ibby with the flat wound strings on it is by far the bass that fits me best. And, it sounds decent too.
A fellow bassist has a very nice Sandberg Jazz. Sounds lovely & is nice to play. He had a go on my bass & his first words were "Wow, this is just so comfortable".
I've had a few different rigs over the years & yes, there's a difference there too, but regardless of whether I'm playing through the PA, the Markbass rig I used to have, the valve rig I have now or through whatever battered thing they have at a rehearsal room, the core bass sound is still there. It sounds good regardless.
The best thing... Ibby SR basses aren't out of most people's reach. But then if you're used to a wider neck, then you might find the Ibby uncomfortable.