Apparatus for generating acoustic compensation signals which serve to compensate acoustic signals resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle-side propulsion unit, wherein the device is formed as an Engine Order Cancellation System (EOC system) or forms a functional component of such a device, wherein the device comprises: - a signal generating device, which is used to generate acoustic compensation signals, which serve to compensate for acoustic signals resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle-side propulsion unit, - a control device assigned to the signal generating device, which is set up to control the operation of the signal generating device, - a detection device (13a - 13c) associated with the control device, which is designed to detect acoustic signals resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle on the side of a motor vehicle equipped with the device, wherein the detection device comprises several detection elements (13a - 13c) arranged in a, in particular a part of a passenger cell, interior of a motor vehicle equipped with device, characterised by an identification device assigned to the control device, which is set up to determine the direction of propagation of acoustic signals (5, 10) and to generate a determined directional direction of the respective acoustic signals (5, 10), wherein the control device is designed to control the operation of the signal generating device on the basis of the directional information generated, where: the operation of the signal generating device is controlled with the proviso that signals are not compensated, the direction of which indicates that they do not come from the range of the motor vehicle-side propulsion unit, i.e. they do not spread from the motor vehicle side propulsion unit and therefore do not result from the operation of the motor vehicle-side propulsion unit. - a signal generating device, which is used to generate acoustic compensation signals, which serve to compensate for acoustic signals resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle-side propulsion unit, - a control device assigned to the signal generating device, which is set up to control the operation of the signal generating device, - a detection device (13a - 13c) associated with the control device, which is designed to detect acoustic signals resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle on the side of a motor vehicle equipped with the device, wherein the detection device comprises several detection elements (13a - 13c) arranged in a, in particular a part of a passenger cell, interior of a motor vehicle equipped with device, characterised by an identification device assigned to the control device, which is set up to determine the direction of propagation of acoustic signals (5, 10) and to generate a determined directional direction of the respective acoustic signals (5, 10), wherein the control device is designed to control the operation of the signal generating device on the basis of the directional information generated, where: the operation of the signal generating device is controlled with the proviso that signals are not compensated, the direction of which indicates that they do not come from the range of the motor vehicle-side propulsion unit, i.e. they do not spread from the motor vehicle side propulsion unit and therefore do not result from the operation of the motor vehicle-side propulsion unit.