Best $1000 5.1 Speaker System for People that Care About Bass – All from Amazon!

If you read my byline at the end of my articles, you will find that I focus on helping the new AV enthusiast get into the hobby. But, more importantly, I help the budding enthusiast get the best bang for their buck and develop a setup that can grow with you. Today, I’m going to help people on a budget ($1000 or less) that care about good bass get a 5.1 speaker system they can be proud of! Plus, I sourced everything from Amazon so that you can buy it all at once! If you have a Best Buy gift card and are wondering what to buy, don’t fret! I’ve got a guide in the works for you as well.

AV is expensive. Going all in, with no compromises, can be costly. Often, beginners will purchase inexpensive setups that they will quickly outgrow and want to upgrade. In this case, you usually spend twice – the first time on the initial gear and then again on the upgrade. If you are like me and can snag some fantastic deals on used equipment, it helps. But not everyone has the patience or desire to buy used.

So here was my editor’s challenge. Design a quality 5.1 surround sound system for $1000 that’s easily accessible from Amazon for people that care about bass. I needed to factor in cables, stands, and anything else to hook it up. Oh, and it has to be something that can grow with your setup. Ok, this should be fun!

Recommended Speakers

I designed this system for people with $1000 to spend and want a solid subwoofer (because I care about good bass) to anchor their 5.1 system. However, they may not be appropriate for all rooms and situations because of that budget. For example, if your space or seating distance is further than 8-10 feet from the speakers, you may find out that these cannot play loud enough for your space. The subwoofer is the bulk of the budget, but that is by design. The subwoofer will grow with your system and will last for years to come.

• Recommended Seating Distance: No more than 10 feet. The Sony speakers have a 5″ driver, so they can’t fill large spaces with big sound. 
• Recommend Room Size: No larger than 2000 cubic feet
• Receiver Recommendation: Pair with receiver Denon AVR-760H or Better

Why These Speakers

I chose the Sony speakers for the left, center, and right channels because they offer extraordinary value and performance for their price. I kept upgradability in mind. If you choose to upgrade the front speakers, the Sonys will make great surround speakers. They are small compared to some bookshelf speakers, but they are by no means tiny. For tiny, we have the Miccas.

The Miccas are inexpensive but offer good performance as surround speakers. They are small and very light. This means that, as you upgrade the system, you could move these to Atmos speakers in a 5.1.2 system (use these mounts to get them on or near the ceiling). 

The subwoofer was the most expensive piece and will anchor the entire system. Most budget subwoofers compromise somewhere. If it’s cheap and small, it won’t get loud. A small subwoofer that’s loud/low won’t be cheap. I think that the Monolith by Monoproice V2 THX Certified 10″ subwoofer hits the sweet spot. The aggressively priced Monolith V2 hits like a sledgehammer, but it’s big and heavy. This subwoofer will grow with your system and doesn’t compromise anything appreciably. If you are the type of person that cares about bass in your 5.1 system, the Monoprice sub will absolutely make you smile!

What You Get

The Sony speakers have average sensitivity, so you won’t need much power to get them loud in a small room. Both the bookshelf and center channel speakers are neutral, meaning they don’t have exaggerated bass or treble. They should handle music and movies equally well. They have a decent high-end response and don’t get super harsh at high volumes. Every review I’ve seen of these glows with positivity.

The Miccas are compact and easily wall (or ceiling) mountable. With a similar frequency response to the Sonys, they should play well with them and have a similar timbre match. 

As I said above, the Monolith V2 hits like an absolute sledgehammer. It will augment the lack of low-end extension of the bookshelf speakers. Make sure you set all your speakers to small in your AV receiver. I’d set your crossover for the Sonys at 80Hz and the Miccas at 100Hz.

Many buying guides will use all their budget on the speakers and not consider how you will set everything up. I’ve included a set of stands for your front left and right speakers. I’ve got budget for 100 feet of speaker wire, a subwoofer cable, and wall mounts for the Miccas. The Miccas have a 1/4″ threaded insert on the back for mounting but you can easily just put them on a shelf. If you want to get fancy, you can spring for the optional banana plugs for your speaker wire (totally overkill for this system).

What You’ll Miss

The Sony speakers are not suitable for a large room. With 5″ woofers and smallish cabinets, they won’t fill a large space with sound, and they won’t have a thundering bass. Don’t expect any fancy finishes. They have a plain black vinyl wrap with equally simple grills and post mounts. Utilitarian is the word that springs to mind. 

The Micca surrounds follow suit, with a pretty small driver setup. They will not rock your world, but they are more than adequate for surround or Atmos duties. 

The only thing you will miss with the Monolith V2 is floor space. It’s not a small or compact sub. But it does fill a room with bass. 

Wrap Up

There are thousands of speakers on the market. As much as we like to keep up with things, we can’t know everything. Plus, new speakers are released all the time! We’ll update this article as we come across better deals. Do you have any suggestions for speakers in this price range? Mention them in the comments below so that other readers will have more options!