Apparatus (301) for switchable attenuation of a differential input signal from a microphone includes positive and negative non-attenuating paths (406, 410) have n- and p-type MOSFETs (421, 422, 423, 424) in back-to-back configurations; positive and negative attenuating paths (405, 409) have n- and p-type MOSFETs (415, 416, 418, 419) in back-to-back configurations in combination with resistors; a gate driver (425) applies a drive signal of one polarity (QNEG) to gates of the n-type MOSFETs in the attenuating paths and the p-type MOSFETs in the non-attenuating paths, and a drive signal of opposite polarity (QPOS) to the gates of the p-type MOSFETs in the attenuating paths and the n-type MOSFETs in the non-attenuating paths; and the state of the MOSFETs depends on the drive signals at their gates, and thus the input signal may be routed via either the non-attenuating paths or the attenuating paths by controlling the drive signals.