What device was used to amplify electrical signals before the invention of the transistor?

Correct answer: Vacuum tubes

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What people think about it: 16 Comments
lostiaz
lostiaz
Brought back some memories....
JasonR1972
JasonR1972
musicians swear by the superior quality of vacuum (tube) amplifiers. in Europe, tubes are called Valves.
Montana Lady
Montana Lady
lostiaz, for me too... my dad used to make me explain how the television worked before I could watch cartoons on Saturday mornings (I was in kindergarten)
seaystock13
seaystock13
Excellent information here!
quicksilver
quicksilver
lostiaz, I remember watching adults replace tubes in TVs
Birdiemom
Birdiemom
Most people think vacuum tubes are hard to find, but go to an amateur radio swap meet sometime. They don't 'go bad' nearly as much as people think, either.
Phiend99
Phiend99
JasonR1972, Not just musicians, but audiophiles too. Some even prefer the"warmer" sound and transition free playback of vinyl over anything digital. Digital in itself will always have transitions; it's just too fast now to be audibly detected by the human ear.
Player #4209348Roths
Player #4209348Roths
[bobbo16], ah, the good old days
Bill chanroutie
Bill chanroutie
[bobbo16], Bobbo16, My father and I would do the same thing. Thanks for the memories.
Barb@71
Barb@71
quicksilver, Really the good old days when we fixed things that broke. My dad had a machine that tested the tube and for a while sold replacements.
Maestra
Maestra
Thank you Star Trek for this answer. (City on the Edge of Forever)
B Dog
B Dog
Vacuum tubes were (and are still) used in electric guitar amplifiers, y’know! Lest we pretend this is some dead enterprise as of the 1950s or something 😂😂😂
Mark
Mark
Own a Magnavox console.
Guillermo
Guillermo
Player #4209348Roths, yes.. I also remember "tube tops" 😍
RushMama2112
RushMama2112
whitefalcon6266t, my brother-in-law is the same way :)
Laudy Miss Claudy
Laudy Miss Claudy
lostiaz, Indeed.