I agree. Haven't heard the LCI L7, but I know it is substantually better on the pre-LCI cars. I'm far from an audiophile and I think the standard US system is weak. I added more power to the under-seat speakers which helped a great deal, but it's not up to the standard of many other luxury (and even non-luxury) vehicles.

 

I chose the stock radio after considering the L7 and reading the reviews. I find it adequate, but not up to the high standards set by the rest of the car. Muddy sound, lack of high-end definition. Oddly enough, I find the sound system to be _perfect_ for Bluetooth cell phones. Improving the speakers is (in my opinion) the most effective option, but the E60 is somewhat handicapped by the tiny space available in the doors. Therefore, I am looking at aftermarket speaker upgrades, keeping the rest of the stock system as-is. Bavarian Sound Werks is going to have an E60 speaker replacement kit available in a few months, so I will take a close look at that. Honestly, my 1999 Chrysler 300m had a better sound system (but I needed it to drown out the road noise).

An equalizer would definitely help, and the L7 is the only practical way to get it.

Since you are doing a lease instead of purchase, I suspect you are stuck with the choice of stock vs. L7, in which case L7 is better (but not perfect and definitely pricey for what it is). I miss the days of easily-integrated aftermarket audio. But I don't miss having my radio stolen.

 

I had a 335xi with L7 (for 1 week) and now have a 530xi with base system. No comparison. It's one my biggest regrets not getting the L7 again. The base system has NO BALLS!