Website author headshot
Cameron Oatley
ExtremeHiFi
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi

Note that this is a discontinued product. You may want to visit the brand's page here to browse their newer products.

What reviewers think

Bloggers and YouTubers have tried this product—so we've summarized their strongest opinions below. Links to full reviews follow.

What are hifi reviews useful for? (1) Identifying products you should demo in person at a dealer. (2) Learning which products reviewers unanimously praise as the best they've heard (this means they probably are legitimately great). (3) Identifying a product's attributes that satisfy your idiosyncratic needs and tastes. Beyond that, we often discount what reviewers say because they heap praise on most products—and are often apprehensive about publishing strong criticism or comparisons between products. Further, they seldom have more than a few products on-hand, often relying on their memories to compare past products. Always listen for yourself.

Manufacturer details

  • Frequency Response: 57Hz – 20kHz +/- 3 -6dB at 50Hz
  • Impedance: 4.5 ohms
  • Sensitivity: 87dB
  • Minimum Recommended Power: 50 Watts
  • Max Continuous Power Handling: 300 Watts
  • Peak Power: 600 Watts
  • Round Grille O.D.: 11.57″ (29.4 cm)
  • Square Grille O.D.: 11.57″ (29.4 cm)
  • Speaker Depth: 6.473″ (16.4 cm)
  • Cutout Dimension: 10-1/8″ (25.9 cm)
  • Shipping Weight: 16 lbs. (7.3 kg)
  • Dimensions HxWxD: 11.57" x 11.57" x 6.57" (29cm x 29cm x 16.4cm)
The Sage Series iCS7a in-ceiling speaker is the World's First multi-functional planar magnetic (PMD) round in-ceiling loudspeaker. Its 6-Bar PMD is completely new and is based upon Wisdom's award-winning Sage P20 driver. It represents a breakthrough in the power shading capabilities of Wisdom Audio's planar magnetic driver (PMD), delivering a fully passive Sage Series point-source product that's capable of achieving high output down to 57Hz. To ensure maximum clarity, the angled PMD design allows the on-axis energy to be focused straight at the listening area. The system does not require active crossover or bi-amplification, allowing dealers to offer Sage Series performance at a lower price point.
Manufacturer Site

Brand highlights

Taking a step back to look at reviewers' thoughts of the brand's entire lineup—not just this product—what stands out most is the following:

Insight Series P2i

  • Positioning: Entry-level line, designed for compactness and affordability.
  • Description: Offers excellent sound quality with its planar magnetic driver and dual woofers, providing high-resolution sound and dynamic range. It is ideal for small rooms or budget-conscious buyers who want a compact in-wall or in-ceiling speaker without sacrificing performance. Compared to other products in the lineup, it offers a more affordable option with custom mounting flexibility.

Sage Series C20i

  • Positioning: High-end in-wall speaker for audiophiles seeking superior sound quality.
  • Description: Features a large planar magnetic driver and robust woofers, delivering high-resolution sound and dynamic range in a slim design. It is perfect for home theaters or media rooms where high sonic refinement is desired. Compared to the Insight Series, it offers enhanced bass performance and a more sophisticated design.

Sage Cinema Point 2 V2

  • Positioning: Versatile speaker for immersive audio installations.
  • Description: Features a rotatable planar magnetic driver, allowing flexible installation for various audio formats like Dolby Atmos. It is ideal for users who need a versatile speaker for immersive audio setups without requiring additional DSP or PEQ. Compared to the Sage Series C20i, it offers more installation flexibility.
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Avg. Product Price
$2,501-$5,000
Used For Sale
5
 Available (Scroll Down)
Brand Popularity
372
 of 900+
Badges
Top 50 Brand
Top 250 Brand
Products Listed
68
Founding Year
1996

Our take on the brand

Wisdom Audio specializes in planar magnetic drivers and line source speaker technology, which provides consistent sound coverage throughout a room and minimizes sound distortion compared to traditional point source speakers. Their speakers are designed to be integrated into walls or ceilings without compromising sound quality.

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Brand Page

Our interview with the brand

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From our interview with
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What if you spend more?

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What competes at this price?

Wisdom Audio
Insight Series P4i
2760
/
Released
Compact in size, the Insight Series P4i defies traditional categorization. Sharing the design elements of its larger Insight Series sibling, it is hard to believe the musical and cinematic performance and dynamic quality of this small in-wall loudspeaker. The Insight Series P4i includes a planar magnetic driver – and four robust 3"x5" woofers for low distortion, high-resolution sound, and a superior dynamic range.
Check Amazon
Wisdom Audio specializes in planar magnetic drivers and line source speaker technology, which provides consistent sound coverage throughout a room and minimizes sound distortion compared to traditional point source speakers. Their speakers are designed to be integrated into walls or ceilings without compromising sound quality.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • Truly outstanding sound quality, delivering a near-electrostatic, audiophile listening experience in a disappearing, in-wall package
  • Uses planar magnetic thin-film drivers (PMD) which can be highly detailed with excellent transient response
  • PMDs are quite reliable because the spread-out "voice grid" is great at dissipating heat
  • PMDs are super-easy for an amplifier to drive, as they are "an almost perfectly resistive load"

Product Considerations

  • Horizontal center channel use of the Insight P4i requires stud modifications due to its size

Comparisons (according to reviewers)

  • The Insight series squeezes most of the sound quality of the Wisdom Audio Sage Series into a less imposing, less costly package

Takeaway: The Wisdom Audio Insight P4i speakers provide excellent sound quality in an in-wall design, and are a great way to get high-end audio without large, free-standing speakers. They could be worth buying for those who want the best possible sound without compromising on interior design.

Video review

Our take on the brand

Wisdom Audio specializes in planar magnetic drivers and line source speaker technology, which provides consistent sound coverage throughout a room and minimizes sound distortion compared to traditional point source speakers. Their speakers are designed to be integrated into walls or ceilings without compromising sound quality.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page
Perlisten
S3ic
3495
/
Released
2023
Who says in-ceiling speakers are always a compromise? The S3ic is the perfect in-ceiling match for any S-Series Home Theater, where sacrifices to the perfect audio experiences are unacceptable, and perfection is the only path forward. Patent pending design, with directivity control derived from our patent pending DPC, creating a frequency response that matches and sounds like a world class speaker.
Check Amazon
Perlisten Audio's speakers feature a unique Directivity Pattern Control array that combines a beryllium tweeter with thin-ply carbon diaphragm midrange drivers to control sound dispersion and enhance imaging precision, and they're the first brand to achieve THX Dominus certification. Their speakers use proprietary thin-ply carbon diaphragm material that's 30% lighter than standard carbon fiber, with their DPC array designed to minimize floor and ceiling reflections while maintaining precise horizontal soundstage.
Expand Details

Our Summary

Product Strengths

  • A DPC array includes a 1.1-inch Beryllium dome tweeter and a 1.1-inch Textreme TPCD ultra-lightweight dome midrange driver, helping match the timbre of other S-Series speakers
  • The first in-ceiling model able to achieve THX Certified Dominus, especially one designed for the largest private theaters of up to 6,500 cubic feet
  • Promises staggeringly good frequency response across a wide listening area for great sound
  • Has a flat surface when installed, leading to less diffraction and reflections
  • Has a back box that's four millimeters thick and bituminously damped, to reduce sound leakage

Product Considerations

  • The flagship and most expensive offering in the Perlisten in-ceiling speaker line
  • Using in-ceiling speakers for bed-layer channels is not ideal and should generally be discouraged

Comparisons (according to reviewers)

  • Offers a more ideal frequency response in the listening position, compared to typical in-ceiling speakers
  • Offers sonic advantages due to less diffraction and reflections, compared to on-ceiling speakers

Takeaway: The S3ic is a technologically advanced in-ceiling speaker that delivers excellent sound quality and broad coverage. It is a great choice for creating a high-performance home theater experience.

Video review

Our take on the brand

Perlisten Audio's speakers feature a unique Directivity Pattern Control array that combines a beryllium tweeter with thin-ply carbon diaphragm midrange drivers to control sound dispersion and enhance imaging precision, and they're the first brand to achieve THX Dominus certification. Their speakers use proprietary thin-ply carbon diaphragm material that's 30% lighter than standard carbon fiber, with their DPC array designed to minimize floor and ceiling reflections while maintaining precise horizontal soundstage.
Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer
Product Page
Product Page

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