Abstract: In a noise reduction system of the type in which an audio signal is delayed in time to permit detection of and reaction to impulse noise before application of the audio signal to a loudspeaker or the like, a transformed version of the audio signal is compared with its time-averaged value, and a resulting detection signal is processed into a control signal with blanking periods that vary as a function of corresponding impulse noise. The detection produces a response to both large impulses which stand out from the audio signal and small impulses which are hidden in the audio signal. The control signal tailors its response to the size of the impulse, blanking the audio signal substantially only for the duration of the impulse. Auxilliary circuitry is provided.