A dynamic range manipulation system comprising: a first input configured to provide an audio signal; a second input configured to provide a noise indication signal for ambient noise at a playback location; and a processor configured to: receive the audio signal and the noise indication signal, take time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal, divide the time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into frames, and resolve each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed noise power from the noise indication signal and further determine a smoothed and tracked noise power from the smoothed noise power by applying a low-pass filter to the smoothed noise power, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed audio power from the audio signal, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, calculate a compression knee value from the smoothed and tracked noise power according to the equation K i = N i + offset factor, where K i is the compression knee value for the current frame and frequency sub-band and N i is the smoothed and tracked noise power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a compression gain in accordance with the smoothed audio power and a gain curve defined by G i = i f K i < η, 0, e lse if ⁢ P i ≥ η, K i < η μ - η ⋅ μ - P i, else K i - η η ⋅ P i, wherein G i is the compression gain in logarithmic form for the current frame and frequency sub-band, P i is the smoothed audio power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, and η and μ are compression gain parameters, and for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, apply the compression gain to the audio signal to generate a gain-controlled output signal. a first input configured to provide an audio signal; a second input configured to provide a noise indication signal for ambient noise at a playback location; and a processor configured to: receive the audio signal and the noise indication signal, take time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal, divide the time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into frames, and resolve each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed noise power from the noise indication signal and further determine a smoothed and tracked noise power from the smoothed noise power by applying a low-pass filter to the smoothed noise power, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed audio power from the audio signal, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, calculate a compression knee value from the smoothed and tracked noise power according to the equation K i = N i + offset factor, where K i is the compression knee value for the current frame and frequency sub-band and N i is the smoothed and tracked noise power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a compression gain in accordance with the smoothed audio power and a gain curve defined by G i = i f K i < η, 0, e lse if ⁢ P i ≥ η, K i < η μ - η ⋅ μ - P i, else K i - η η ⋅ P i, wherein G i is the compression gain in logarithmic form for the current frame and frequency sub-band, P i is the smoothed audio power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, and η and μ are compression gain parameters, and for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, apply the compression gain to the audio signal to generate a gain-controlled output signal. receive the audio signal and the noise indication signal, take time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal, divide the time samples of each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into frames, and resolve each of the audio signal and the noise indication signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed noise power from the noise indication signal and further determine a smoothed and tracked noise power from the smoothed noise power by applying a low-pass filter to the smoothed noise power, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a smoothed audio power from the audio signal, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, calculate a compression knee value from the smoothed and tracked noise power according to the equation K i = N i + offset factor, where K i is the compression knee value for the current frame and frequency sub-band and N i is the smoothed and tracked noise power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, determine a compression gain in accordance with the smoothed audio power and a gain curve defined by G i = i f K i < η, 0, e lse if ⁢ P i ≥ η, K i < η μ - η ⋅ μ - P i, else K i - η η ⋅ P i, wherein G i is the compression gain in logarithmic form for the current frame and frequency sub-band, P i is the smoothed audio power for the current frame and frequency sub-band, and η and μ are compression gain parameters, and for each frame and for each frequency sub-band, apply the compression gain to the audio signal to generate a gain-controlled output signal.