Well, had I known that the Panamera was such a quiet luxury car in 'luxury' mode, I would have gotten the Burmester system. I just can't believe what a great listening environment this is compared to my E60 M5.

Having said that, I'm really quite impressed with the Bose quality for classical music - using my iPod hardwire connection. It's light years better than my upgraded Bose in the M5. It is not so good for rock/pop music though, as the base is quite boomy.

 

It is surprising quiet, at speed and driving around town, especially in "Comfort" mode. The dual pane noise & heat insulating glass really cuts down on the wind noise and other noises like tires from cars driving by or truck and bus engines.

The only unwanted sound keeping it from competing with the other benchmark luxury sedans is the tire noise, but that's a reasonable trade-off for the phenomenal handling.

Despite the tire noise, the Bose sound system is quite good for a Porsche. You may have to tweak it a bit with the treble and bass levels (they're adjusted separately for each source, i.e. radio, CD, iPod) to get the optimal sound. I listen to classical, jazz, and pop in the car and adjust the "Sound" from time to time.

The Bose system in the 2006 MB S class, however, is better, in the clarity of the mids and highs and the tightness of the bass. Porsche may have concentrated more on making the Burmester better and thus not gone with the best that Bose had to offer.

Having said that, I still find music immensely enjoyable in the Panamera.