I was looking at this kit:

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/prodinfo.asp?number=C4530

And I have a couple of questions.

1 - You have to connect it up to your speaker lines. So I assume you would connect it in parallel with your speakers. Wouldn't this lower the total resistance and stress your stereo?

2 - I assume those are TRIACS controlling the AC plugs

3 - What kind of transformer would that use? Would it be a 1 to 1?

 

Without knowing the impedance of the transformer winding connected to the speaker lines, no one will ever know for sure how much it loads the speaker lines. However, any competent individual would have thought of this when they designed the circuit and would have made the winding high enough Z to take care of this.

The triacs control the lamps, just like the dimmer on your wall.

The circuit as it stands is meant to get its power directly from a wall outlet. A transformer would be nice but you'll pay a fortune for an 800 watt unit and not gain a lot in the long run.

 

The circuit as it stands is meant to get its power directly from a wall outlet. A transformer would be nice but you'll pay a fortune for an 800 watt unit and not gain a lot in the long run

I think you may have misunderstood my question. I'm talking about the transformer that is used for isolation between the incoming audio and the high voltage circuit.

 

I doubt if the transformer that's in there is 1:1. I don't think you can buy an 8 or 16 ohm 1:1 transformer. Its probably 500:8 or even 2000:8 to generate enough signal for the electronics to work.