The medial olivocochlear (MOC) system aids in the prevention of age- and noise-induced hearing loss, and enhances the detection of salient sound in diverse sensory environments. While function of the MOC system has been well studied at the level of the periphery, there are gaps in our knowledge concerning the underlying central circuitry - hindering our understanding of the protective role of efferent neurons and the central mechanisms underlying their normal function. The present study used an optogenetic and electrophysiological approach to investigate excitatory responses of MOC neurons to ascending ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) and descending inferior colliculus (IC) inputs. MOC neurons were found to be homogeneous in their spike firing properties and remarkably well suited to encoding stimulus intensity.