An audio device, comprising: a plurality of spatially-separated microphones that are configured into a microphone array, wherein the microphones are adapted to receive sound; and a processing system in communication with the microphone array and configured to: derive a plurality of audio signals from the plurality of microphones; use prior audio data to operate a filter topology that processes audio signals so as to make the array more sensitive to desired sound than to undesired sound; categorize received sounds as one of desired sounds or undesired sounds; and use the categorized received sounds, and the categories of the received sounds, to modify the filter topology; wherein the audio signal processing system is further configured to compute a confidence score for received sounds, the confidence score relates to the confidence that the sound or sound segment belongs in the desired or undesired sound set wherein the confidence score is used in the modification of the filter topology; wherein the confidence score is used to weight the contribution of the received sounds to the modification of the filter topology; and wherein computing the confidence score is based on a degree of confidence that received sounds include a wakeup word. a plurality of spatially-separated microphones that are configured into a microphone array, wherein the microphones are adapted to receive sound; and a processing system in communication with the microphone array and configured to: derive a plurality of audio signals from the plurality of microphones; use prior audio data to operate a filter topology that processes audio signals so as to make the array more sensitive to desired sound than to undesired sound; categorize received sounds as one of desired sounds or undesired sounds; and use the categorized received sounds, and the categories of the received sounds, to modify the filter topology; wherein the audio signal processing system is further configured to compute a confidence score for received sounds, the confidence score relates to the confidence that the sound or sound segment belongs in the desired or undesired sound set wherein the confidence score is used in the modification of the filter topology; wherein the confidence score is used to weight the contribution of the received sounds to the modification of the filter topology; and wherein computing the confidence score is based on a degree of confidence that received sounds include a wakeup word. derive a plurality of audio signals from the plurality of microphones; use prior audio data to operate a filter topology that processes audio signals so as to make the array more sensitive to desired sound than to undesired sound; categorize received sounds as one of desired sounds or undesired sounds; and use the categorized received sounds, and the categories of the received sounds, to modify the filter topology; wherein the audio signal processing system is further configured to compute a confidence score for received sounds, the confidence score relates to the confidence that the sound or sound segment belongs in the desired or undesired sound set wherein the confidence score is used in the modification of the filter topology; wherein the confidence score is used to weight the contribution of the received sounds to the modification of the filter topology; and wherein computing the confidence score is based on a degree of confidence that received sounds include a wakeup word.