Wisdom Sage Series ICS3: Install Guide

The Wisdom Audio Sage Series ICS3 is a minimal-appearance, point-source in-ceiling speaker built around a spiral planar magnetic driver (SPMD). It's a multi-stage install: the back-box and mounting platform go in at pre-wire, then the SPMD and grille are fitted once the ceiling is finished and painted. The result is a tiny 3" or 4" round or square grille that sits dead flush with the surface, designed to match flush-mount lighting. This guide covers the SPMD-into-back-box fit, grille depth setting, optional grille painting, and subwoofer pairing.

System components

• ICS3-Backbox — goes in at rough-in / pre-construction. Holds the mid-bass driver and crossover.

• ICS3-SPMD (Spiral Planar Magnetic Driver) — fitted last. Includes the Magnetic Recoil Fastener (Pat. Pend.) that sets grille depth and holds the grille in place.

• Mounting platform — gypsum kit for 1/2" or 5/8" (13mm / 16mm) plaster, or a solid-surface kit for stone, wood or tile from 3/8" to 1-1/4" (9.5mm – 32mm). A routing tool is available for solid-surface cutouts.

• Grille — 3" or 4" (76mm / 102mm), round or square, to match light fittings.

Three-stage planning

1. Planning — choose surface type, platform size/shape, and grille style.

2. Pre-construction / pre-wire — fit the back-box and mounting platform, run and connect the speaker cable.

3. Finishing — fit the SPMD and grille once the ceiling is sanded and painted.

> Before you start the SPMD fit: the ICS3-Backbox must already be installed with its gypsum or solid-surface mounting platform, the pre-wire completed and connected, and the ceiling sanded and painted. For platform mounting detail, see wisdomaudio.com.

Fitting the ICS3-SPMD into the back-box

1. Remove the Paint Shield — slip a pick tool into the cutout of the steel Paint Shield and gently pull it away; it's held on magnetically. Keep it — you'll need it for grille depth setting later.

2. Remove the Subwoofer Grille Catch — back out the two #6-32 cap screws with a 7/64" hex bit. The catch lifts free of the mud plate.

3. Insert the SPMD — it only goes in one way to make the electrical connection.

4. Secure it — push the two #6-32 hex-drive cap screws through the SPMD into the mounting bosses on the platform; this mates the electrical connection.

5. Check the fit — hand-tighten only. Do not power-drive these screws.

6. Leave the protective plastic film on the SPMD for now. Refit the Paint Shield ready for depth setting.

Setting grille depth

With the ceiling finished and painted, set the grille plane via the Magnetic Recoil Fastener. The Paint Shield is the same depth as the grille and has three access cutouts lining up with the three plane-adjustment screws.

1. Use the Paint Shield as a depth gauge.

2. Adjust the three screws underneath until the plane sits flush.

3. Remove the protective plastic film from the SPMD.

4. Place the grille onto the magnetic Grille Catch — done.

> Caution — never touch the planar magnetic driver surface. The thin film is pre-tensioned at the factory; any contact damages it. And remember to remove the protective film once installation is complete.

Optional grille painting

1. Prime with a spray-can metal primer/bonder, following the can's directions.

2. Use water-based latex paint thinned 1:1 with a proper thinner and strained through a mesh strainer. For damp locations, consider oil-based paint for durability.

3. Spray with a small touch-up or cap-spray gun, #3 tip: medium-to-wide fan, regulator at 60psi, three quick light strokes from ~10" away. Rest a minute, rotate 90°, repeat until all four sides are even.

4. While wet, check no paint has pooled under the frame and no perforations are clogged — clear any with compressed air. After drying, clear stubborn blocked perforations with a straight pin, then mount the grille.

ICS3 with and without subwoofers

The ICS3 is optimised to run with subs using a 120Hz 24dB Linkwitz–Riley bass-management crossover. The SUB1 in-ceiling minimal-appearance subwoofer pairs seamlessly when driven by a Wisdom SC-2 or SC-3 system controller (or any processor that can apply the correct crossover).

Run full-range without a sub if needed: use a high-performance Wisdom SA amplifier or equivalent at 100–300W per channel with a high-pass filter no lower than 80Hz to keep excess bass off the speakers. For surround, distributed audio or 2-channel, an SC-2 or SC-3 system controller gives the best EQ, delay and room calibration.

Care and maintenance

Dust the front with a feather duster or lint-free cloth. For dirt and fingerprints on the grille, lightly damp a soft cloth with isopropyl alcohol — damp, not wet — and wipe. Never clean the drivers themselves.

Specifications

Warranty (UK trade note)

Bought from and installed by an authorised Wisdom dealer, Sage Series loudspeakers carry five years on the speaker and ten years on the transducers from purchase; harsh-condition use (outdoor/marine) drops to three years. The warranty excludes misuse, abuse, alteration, or install/calibration by anyone other than an authorised dealer. The printed warranty is North America only — outside that region, contact your local authorised Wisdom distributor for warranty and service. Always obtain a return authorisation before shipping and return units in original packaging.

This article was adapted from Wisdom Audio's original guidance — Source PDF Habitech-edited for UK trade installer context. Original © Wisdom Audio Corp..