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Depending on how much you want to spend, your choice is between color temperature and color output. With halogens, you can get one or the other, but not both. With HID's you get both, but the reflector and lens technology haven't caught up with the advances in lamp technology as evidenced by the annoying color shifts you perceive in oncoming cars with HID's.
Color temperature refers to the 'whiteness' of the light. Unfiltered, white sunlight has a color temperature of 5400 degrees K. Color temps below this appear yellow, above this point they appear blue. The best halogens (available only in Europe, but you CAN get them) have a white point of 3200K. HID's (also called Xenon, Xenarc, and Bi-Xenon) range from 4800K to 6400K.
Color output refers to the amount of light energy emitted by the lamp, measured in units called lumens.
Finally, a true upgrade won't be complete without e-code lenses, which will make more efficient use of the extra light.
Here are some details:
HALOGEN: The best halogens are made for the metal-based H7's and H1's, which come on 98-and-later Volvos. Philips VisionPlus and Hella LightPower put out 50% more light than the standard stock halogen, and 30% more than the DOT approved maximum (such as Sylvania XV). The 850 uses 9006, I believe. Your best halogen options are Philips Premium (30% over stock), and Philips BlueVision (20% over stock, with a modest filtration to increase color temperature...they appear more white than blue, a good lamp). Hella and Sylvania will have comparable lamps. You've got to get them from Europe, and a fantastic source is autolamps-online.com, a British outfit that sells Philips. If you go to an auto store to see what they've got, do NOT consider any halogen with a feature labeled 'xenon.' It's a trick. A total waste of money.
--> A NOTE ABOUT BLUE HALOGENS: To increase color temperature in some 'cool blue' halogens, the capsule has a blue coating which filters the yellow range light from the output, making the light appear whiter. But a filter is actually removing light (so you're getting less light on the road) and increasing lamp temperature because the light energy has to be converted to something else (in this case, heat).
HID (High Intensity Discharge): this is an arc light that produces cleaner light energy...with less power! Conversion kits are available now for $400 - way less than just two years ago. Check the websites hids4less.com and autolamps-online.com for more info.
E-CODES: this is the European spec lens, which focuses more light on the road (and less in oncoming drivers' eyes) than the awful DOT systems most people are saddled with; and Volvo DOT lenses are among the world's worst. The key to any E-code lighting system is the fluted lens...no one has successfully done it with just reflectors - which looks slick but isn't really professional grade lighting. When getting e-codes for the 850, you want current, up-to-date E-codes, not the older style which have a pattern that looks like an 'X' in the fluting.
I'm quite happy with the VisionPlus halogens and E-Code lenses on my car. The Volvo e-codes are outstanding, and as a lens-reflector package, are the equal of Mercedes. The color temperature of the VisionPlus halogens is lower than I'd like but I opted for unfiltered output (lumens) over color temperature. Though the neighborhood Audis and BMWs have bluer-purpler-whiter light, they don't have as much of it....my light pattern shines further. And when HID kits drop to $250, I'll upgrade. This combination will be the equal of the best Mercedes' packages.
(For those who own a 240, I notice IPD is selling current-spec e-codes for $450 the pair! This is an excellent price and would make an outstanding improvement in the lighting.)
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David \\ (98 S70 T5SE Black, misc mods (mostly lighting), red calipers) (92 940GLE)
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