For any of you E36 owners out there that installed the Rio using the stock amp and speakers. After install is your stereo considerably quieter using this thing?
I usually dont listen to my stereo very loud but to get at the normal volume I'm used to I have to set it at about 80%. Is this right? Did I not install it correctly or is there a setting I need to change?
It could just be teh amp which wouldnt suprise me, but I just want to see if anyone else ran across this. (I dont have the harmon karmondy upgrade)
Also during install the remote wire and ignition power wire came out of the sled connector quite easily, wondering if its just a poor connection job they did cause I didnt tug on it or anythign like that.

Some factory amplifiers are designed to work with a stereo that outputs a signal higher than line level, i.e., slightly boosted.

If you check with your local install shop, you might be able to find a factory-integration device that boosts the signal to the factory amp. For instance, on my friend's Dodge Durango, he used a PAC OEM-1 interface purchased from www.tune-town.com to do this job. Don't know if they have one for your particular make and model of car, so check.

Makes sense and is probably the case. Sad part is, is that there is zero room behind the deck now with all the extra wires and the RCA adapters that I soldered to the Harness adapter to attach to the rio.
I plan on upgrading the amp and speakers somtime in teh summer perhaps so I can probably just hold out till then, I just basically cant listen to it super loud and have to keep the volume nob a up more then im' used too I guess.

and have to keep the volume nob a up more then im' used too I guess

If your EQ and loudness aren't boosted past 0db, you should be able to turn the empeg's volume knob all the way up to 0db (maximum non-clipping volume) with no ill effects.

I have the empeg installed just as you do in my M3, i got all the wires, plus tuner in there. Yes I have to turn it up above 0 db when I have the windows down. It's because the factory stereo does a little amplification before it goes to the amp/crossover unit. I'm content with this set up though, because a) I can hardly (but i can) notice a difference in audio quality at + 10 db. b) when I turn it up past 0 db I generally just want it loud, cause with wind distortion, i can't hear if its perfectly audibly correct. If you want specific details about the E36 standard audio setup ask me, it's complex.

- John