Hysteretic control of audio gain in response to battery conditions

An electronic accessory, powered by a battery having a first terminal and a second terminal, a battery voltage existing between the first terminal and the second terminal, the electronic accessory comprising:

• a. a voltage comparator, capable of comparing the battery voltage to at least one reference voltage, that generates a voltage comparator signal having a value that is a function of the battery voltage relative to the reference voltage;
• b. a gain control circuit that couples an input signal to a first signal path when the voltage comparator signal is above a first value and that couples the input signal to a second signal path when the voltage comparator signal is below a second value;
• and
• c. an amplifier, responsive to both the first signal path and to the second signal path,
• wherein the first signal path includes a first component that causes the amplifier to have a first gain and wherein the second signal path includes a second component that causes the amplifier to have a second gain, different from the first gain, so that the amplifier has the first gain when the voltage comparator signal indicates that the battery voltage is above the first value and that has the second gain when the voltage comparator signal indicates that the battery voltage is below the second value, less than the first value, the first gain being greater than the second gain.