Personally, I'm not a fan of Ibanez basses. I swear by Music Man. The Music Man Sterling that I have is a dream to play.
Here's a couple examples of me playing it...
http://tindeck.com/listen/nydo
http://tindeck.com/listen/zcza
And here's a video of Prince of Darkness giving it a review ...
I found mine used. I love buying used gear since it has been worn in already and you can get something better in a lower price range.
The music man will be a bit higher than your current price range. However, I think they are well worth it.