Amplifier by their physical placement in the signal chain; a preamplifier may precede other signal processing stages, for example. The first practical electrical device which could amplify was the triode vacuum tube, invented in 1906 by Lee De Forest, which led to the first amplifiers around 1912. Today most amplifiers use transistors. The first practical device that could amplify was the triode vacuum tube, invented in 1906 by Lee De Forest, which led to the first amplifiers around 1912. Vacuum tubes were used in almost all amplifiers until the 1960s–1970s when the transistor, invented in 1947, replaced them. Today, most amplifiers
David Davies (electrical engineer) (IEE) 1996-2001, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering He has subsequently been Chairman of Railway Safety, a non executive director of Lattice plc, a non-executive director of The ERA Foundation, Chairman of the Hazards Forum (2002-2010), and safety advisor to the Board of National Grid plc. The Sir David Davies building at Loughborough University, housing the electrical engineering department, is now named after him. David Davies (electrical engineer) Sir David Evan Naunton Davies , known as Den Davies or David "DEN" Davies, (born 1935) is a British electrical engineer and educator. He was knighted for services to science in