Lakai, I have the B&W 803S speakers driven by Parasound amps and processor. Not as beefy as the 802Ds, so your standards may be higher. Yet I'm surprised that we're so far apart on the perceived quality of the Premium Sound. I know that sound quality is subjective, but I'm wondering if there is something different in the installations in our respective X5s.

fyi, the source I've been listening to is an iPod, with all content stored in lossless format. The tone settings are all flat (both tone and equalizer) with Surround Sound turned on. What seems to really help my aging ears is the high mounting position of tweeters in the corner pillars. The bass is reasonably sharp. The weakest part of the range seems to be in the midrange where it's hard to compete with B&W's kevlar drivers. But I'm satisfied with it nonetheless.

Good luck with yours. I hope you find a way to make this expensive option pay off for you.

__________________
2001 X5 4.4 - Retired
2008 X5 4.8 - Delivered 2/1/08
Active ventilated seat | Cold weather | Premium package | Premium sound | Rear climate | Technology | Auto tailgate | Comfort access | Running boards | Heated rear seats | HUD | HD radio | Satellite radio | iPod/USB