Attenuation covers are used to reduce the amplitude of input signals at a microphone or other sound-receiving component of an auditory prosthesis. The auditory prosthesis detects distortion present in the output signal from sound processing components and notifies a recipient that an attenuation cover is recommended or desirable. Use of the cover can provide a clearer output signal to the recipient, so as to improve the recipient experience. Such covers can be particularly useful in environments where the input sound signals exceed the dynamic range of the auditory prosthesis.