A method for audio rendering by an apparatus comprising at least one audio rendering device, the method comprising: a) receiving an input audio signal, b) extracting (S10) a plurality of frequency band components from the input audio signal, each frequency band components having an acoustic level associated with a frequency band, c) determining (S15) from the plurality of extracted frequency band components at least one indicator representative of masking frequencies energy, masking frequencies corresponding to frequency bands that are above a frequency threshold, the indicator representative of masking frequencies energy being determined only from frequency bands that are above the frequency threshold, d) determining at least one correction factor (S16) from at least one indicator representative of masking frequencies energy, e) for each frequency band, determining a second acoustic level threshold (S20) by modifying (S17) with the at least one correction factor a predetermined first acoustic level threshold associated with said frequency band, wherein the first acoustic level threshold is independent from the content of the input audio signal, said first acoustic level threshold indicating a highest acoustic level for that frequency band which can be played by the apparatus without significant artefacts, and wherein the second acoustic level thresholds depend on the input audio signal, f) for each frequency band, determining a reduction gain from a comparison (S30) between an acoustic level of the extracted frequency band component of said frequency band and the second acoustic level threshold associated with said frequency band, and g) applying (S40) the reduction gain to the acoustic levels of the frequency band components, h) converting (S50) the different frequency band components into an output audio signal i) audio rendering (S60) the output audio signal by the audio rendering device. a) receiving an input audio signal, b) extracting (S10) a plurality of frequency band components from the input audio signal, each frequency band components having an acoustic level associated with a frequency band, c) determining (S15) from the plurality of extracted frequency band components at least one indicator representative of masking frequencies energy, masking frequencies corresponding to frequency bands that are above a frequency threshold, the indicator representative of masking frequencies energy being determined only from frequency bands that are above the frequency threshold, d) determining at least one correction factor (S16) from at least one indicator representative of masking frequencies energy, e) for each frequency band, determining a second acoustic level threshold (S20) by modifying (S17) with the at least one correction factor a predetermined first acoustic level threshold associated with said frequency band, wherein the first acoustic level threshold is independent from the content of the input audio signal, said first acoustic level threshold indicating a highest acoustic level for that frequency band which can be played by the apparatus without significant artefacts, and wherein the second acoustic level thresholds depend on the input audio signal, f) for each frequency band, determining a reduction gain from a comparison (S30) between an acoustic level of the extracted frequency band component of said frequency band and the second acoustic level threshold associated with said frequency band, and g) applying (S40) the reduction gain to the acoustic levels of the frequency band components, h) converting (S50) the different frequency band components into an output audio signal i) audio rendering (S60) the output audio signal by the audio rendering device. <EOS>