Abstract: The audio conditioning apparatus (190) for conditioning an audio signal (O) to be output, contains a noise characterizing unit (106, 112) arranged to evaluate a noise level (NM) of environmental noise yielding a noise level with which subsequently a volume amplification unit (140) amplifies a volume of the audio signal (O) by a volume gain (GV), depending on the noise level (NM). The audio conditioning apparatus (190) contains a further noise characterizing unit (108,114), (110, 116) is comprised, arranged to evaluate a further noise level (NL, NH) of the environmental noise in a noise band of low bass or high treble noise frequencies, and based on this further noise level a further amplification unit (150, 152) amplifies by a further gain (GB, GT) the amplitude of frequency components in a to the noise band corresponding audio band of low respectively high audio frequencies of the audio signal (O).

Abstract: A distortion detector comprises a clip detector to generate a distortion pulse, processing means to calculate the duty cycle of the distortion pulse and comparator means for supplying a control signal when the calculated duty cycle exceeds a certain threshold value. This control signal can be used, for example, the reduce the volume of audio reproduction.

Abstract: A distortion detector comprises a clip detector to generate a distortion pulse, processing means to calculate the duty cycle of the distortion pulse and comparator means for supplying a control signal when the calculated duty cycle exceeds a certain threshold value. This control signal can be used, for example, the reduce the volume of audio reproduction.