An integrated circuit for implementing at least a portion of a personal audio device, comprising: an output adapted to provide an output signal to an output transducer (SPKR) including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer (SPKR); a reference microphone input adapted to receive a reference microphone signal (ref) indicative of the ambient audio sounds; an error microphone input adapted to receive an error microphone signal (err) indicative of the acoustic output of the transducer (SPKR) and the ambient audio sounds at the transducer (SPKR); and a processing circuit (20, 40) configured to adaptively generate the anti-noise signal from the reference microphone signal (ref) by adapting a first adaptive filter to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds heard by the listener in conformity with an error signal (e) and the reference microphone signal (ref), wherein the processing circuit (20, 40) is further configured to implement a secondary path adaptive filter having a secondary path response configured to shape the source audio and a combiner configured to remove the source audio from the error microphone signal (err) to provide the error signal (e), characterized in that the processing circuit (20, 40) is configured to sequence adaptation of the secondary path adaptive filter and the first adaptive filter so that adaptation of a first one of the first adaptive filter or the secondary path adaptive filter is initiated only after adaptation of another one of the first adaptive filter or the secondary path adaptive filter is substantially completed or halted. an output adapted to provide an output signal to an output transducer (SPKR) including both source audio for playback to a listener and an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds in an acoustic output of the transducer (SPKR); a reference microphone input adapted to receive a reference microphone signal (ref) indicative of the ambient audio sounds; an error microphone input adapted to receive an error microphone signal (err) indicative of the acoustic output of the transducer (SPKR) and the ambient audio sounds at the transducer (SPKR); and a processing circuit (20, 40) configured to adaptively generate the anti-noise signal from the reference microphone signal (ref) by adapting a first adaptive filter to reduce the presence of the ambient audio sounds heard by the listener in conformity with an error signal (e) and the reference microphone signal (ref), wherein the processing circuit (20, 40) is further configured to implement a secondary path adaptive filter having a secondary path response configured to shape the source audio and a combiner configured to remove the source audio from the error microphone signal (err) to provide the error signal (e), characterized in that the processing circuit (20, 40) is configured to sequence adaptation of the secondary path adaptive filter and the first adaptive filter so that adaptation of a first one of the first adaptive filter or the secondary path adaptive filter is initiated only after adaptation of another one of the first adaptive filter or the secondary path adaptive filter is substantially completed or halted.