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American audio engineer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josef Anton Hofmann (July 22, 1924 – November 12, 2010)[1][2] was a London-born American audio engineer and speaker-system designer. He is known for Hofmann's Iron Law, and was a son of pianist Josef Hofmann.[2]
Josef Anton Hofmann | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | July 22, 1924 London, England |
| Died | November 12, 2010 (aged 86) Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB, MA, PhD) |
| Occupation | Audio engineer |
| Years active | 1954–1989 |
| Known for | Hofmann's Iron Law |
| Spouse | Trudi Takayama |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Josef Hofmann and Betty Short |
Hofmann was born in London in 1924, grew up in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and graduated from Fairfax High School of Los Angeles in 1942.[3] He studied at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Pennsylvania and worked on the Manhattan Project as a member of the United States Army.[3] After World War II, Hofmann attended Harvard University, ultimately earning a doctorate there in 1953.[3] Hofmann went on to have a 35-year career as an audio engineer, including work at Acoustic Research, KLH, and Advent Corporation, all in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[3] Hofmann was the "H" of KLH, which he co-founded with Henry Kloss and Malcolm S. Low.[4]
Hofmann and his wife, who were married in 1951, had three children. Hofmann died from lung cancer in 2010 in Waltham, Massachusetts.[3]
Hofmann theorized that when woofers are mounted in speaker enclosures, the designer would have to accept that there are three trade-offs. Hofmann argued that the designer had "...three parameters that cannot all be had at the same time. They are low-bass reproduction, small (enclosure) size, and high (output) sensitivity." Hofmann stated that designers could pick two of these three parameters, but in doing so, it would compromise the third parameter.[5]
For example, a designer who wants good, deep low-frequency sound and high sensitivity can obtain these goals, but they will have to use a large speaker enclosure. Similarly, if a designer is forced by space constraints to use a very small cabinet, and they aim to get good, deep low-frequency sound, the sensitivity will be compromised (i.e., a small cabinet with deep bass would need a very powerful amplifier).
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