diff --git a/Gruntfile.js b/Gruntfile.js
index 76b3ff3c..48f92b70 100644
--- a/Gruntfile.js
+++ b/Gruntfile.js
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ module.exports = function (grunt) {
     // bit of bullshit to ensure the build fails for missing files in the concat task
     // note this overrides normal logging! not cool.
     // These problems (failing on missing files) are expected to be resolved in grunt 0.5
-    grunt.log.oldWarn = grunt.log.warn;
-    grunt.log.warn = grunt.warn;
+    //grunt.log.oldWarn = grunt.log.warn;
+    //grunt.log.warn = grunt.warn;
 
     /**
      * Load required Grunt tasks. These are installed based on the versions listed
diff --git a/src/app/app.js b/src/app/app.js
index 58c9bcbd..38b10df2 100644
--- a/src/app/app.js
+++ b/src/app/app.js
@@ -164,12 +164,15 @@ var app = angular.module('baw',
              }])
 
 
-    .run(['$rootScope', '$location', '$route', '$http', 'AudioEvent', 'conf.paths',
-          function ($rootScope, $location, $route, $http, AudioEvent, paths) {
+    .run(['$rootScope', '$location', '$route', '$http', 'AudioEvent', 'conf.paths', 'UserProfile',
+          function ($rootScope, $location, $route, $http, AudioEvent, paths, UserProfile) {
 
               // embed configuration for easy site-wide binding
               $rootScope.paths = paths;
 
+              // user profile - update user preferences when they change
+              UserProfile.get($rootScope, "userProfile");
+
               // helper function for printing scope objects
               baw.exports.print = $rootScope.print = function () {
                   var seen = [];
diff --git a/src/app/listen/listen.js b/src/app/listen/listen.js
index 367c2c0b..011f2c30 100644
--- a/src/app/listen/listen.js
+++ b/src/app/listen/listen.js
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ angular.module('bawApp.listen', ['decipher.tags', 'ui.bootstrap.typeahead'])
                 // set up some dummy objects for use later
                 $scope.jumpToHide = true;
                 $scope.model = {
-                    audioElement: {},
+                    audioElement: {
+                    },
                     audioEvents: [],
                     media: null,
                     selectedAudioEvent: null,
@@ -90,6 +91,16 @@ angular.module('bawApp.listen', ['decipher.tags', 'ui.bootstrap.typeahead'])
                     site: null
                 };
 
+                // bind
+                $scope.$watch(function () {
+                    return $scope.model.audioElement;
+                }, function(newValue) {
+                    $scope.$root.userProfile.preferences.volume = newValue;
+                });
+                $scope.$watch("$root.userProfile.preferences.volume", function(newValue) {
+                    $scope.model.audioElement = newValue;
+                });
+
                 var formatPaths = function () {
                     if ($scope.model.media && $scope.model.media.hasOwnProperty('id')) {
                         //var authToken = $scope.authTokenQuery();
diff --git a/src/baw.configuration.tpl.js b/src/baw.configuration.tpl.js
index 51ab355e..c10415c0 100644
--- a/src/baw.configuration.tpl.js
+++ b/src/baw.configuration.tpl.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
          * @param {...[string]} fragments
          * @returns {*}
          */
-       function joinPathFragments(fragments) {
+        function joinPathFragments(fragments) {
             fragments = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments, 0);
 
             if (fragments.length === 0) {
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
                     var f = fragments[i];
 
                     if ((typeof f) !== "string") {
-                        throw "Path fragment " + f + " is not a string";
+                        throw "joingPathFragments: Path fragment " + f + " is not a string";
                     }
 
                     var hasFirst = f[0] === "/";
                     var hasLast = (f.slice(-1))[0] === "/";
 
                     if (!hasFirst) {
-                        f =  "/" + f;
+                        f = "/" + f;
                     }
 
                     if (hasLast && i !== (fragments.length - 1)) {
@@ -64,19 +64,19 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
                         listShort: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}",
                         show: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}",
                         list: "/audio_recordings/"
-                        },
+                    },
                     audioEvent: {
                         list: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}/audio_events",
                         show: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}/audio_events/{audioEventId}",
-                        csv : "/audio_events/download."
+                        csv: "/audio_events/download."
                     },
                     tagging: {
                         list: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}/audio_events/{audioEventId}/taggings",
                         show: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}/audio_events/{audioEventId}/taggings/{taggingId}"
                     },
                     tag: {
-                      list: '/tags/',
-                      show: '/tags/{tagId}'
+                        list: '/tags/',
+                        show: '/tags/{tagId}'
                     },
                     media: {
                         show: "/audio_recordings/{recordingId}/media.{format}"
@@ -85,8 +85,9 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
                         ping: "/security/sign_in",
                         signIn: "/my_account/sign_in"
                     },
-                    users: {
-                        settings: "I really don't know yet"
+                    user: {
+                        profile: "/my_account",
+                        settings: "/my_account/prefs"
                     }
                 },
                 links: {
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
                     listen: 'listen/listen.tpl.html',
                     annotationViewer: 'annotationViewer/annotationViewer.tpl.html',
                     navigation: 'navigation/navigation.tpl.html',
-                    birdWalk : {
+                    birdWalk: {
                         list: 'birdWalks/birdWalks.tpl.html',
                         detail: 'birdWalks/birdWalk.tpl.html',
                         spec: 'assets/bird_walk/bird_walk_spec.json',
@@ -124,7 +125,6 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
         };
 
 
-
         // add helper paths
         function recursivePath(source, root) {
             for (var key in source) {
@@ -159,6 +159,14 @@ angular.module('bawApp.configuration', ['url'])
         unitConverter: {
             precisionSeconds: 9,
             precisionHertz: 6
-
+        },
+        defaultProfile: {
+            createdAt: null,
+            email: null,
+            id: null,
+            preferences: {
+                volume: 1.0
+            },
+            userName: "Unknown user"
         }
     });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/directives/ngAudio.js b/src/components/directives/ngAudio.js
index af69199c..d3153aa6 100644
--- a/src/components/directives/ngAudio.js
+++ b/src/components/directives/ngAudio.js
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@ bawds.directive('ngAudio', ['$parse', function ($parse) {
                 throw 'Cannot put ngAudio element on an element that is not a <audio />';
             }
 
+            var expression = $parse(attributes.ngAudio),
+                model = expression(scope);
+
+            /* Forward binding */
+
             function play() {
                 element.play();
             }
@@ -28,6 +33,14 @@ bawds.directive('ngAudio', ['$parse', function ($parse) {
                 element.currentTime = 0;
             }
 
+            scope.$watch(function () {
+                return model.volume;
+            }, function(newValue, oldValue) {
+               element.volume = newValue;
+            });
+
+            /* Reverse binding */
+
             var propertiesToUpdate = ['duration', 'src', 'currentSrc', 'volume'];
             function updateObject(src, dest) {
                 for (var i = 0; i < propertiesToUpdate.length; i++){
@@ -38,7 +51,6 @@ bawds.directive('ngAudio', ['$parse', function ($parse) {
             function updateState(event) {
                 scope.$safeApply2(function () {
                     if (attributes.ngAudio) {
-                        var expression = $parse(attributes.ngAudio);
                         var target = expression(scope);
                         if (!target) {
                             expression.assign(scope, {});
diff --git a/src/components/models/userProfile.js b/src/components/models/userProfile.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..78310e88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/models/userProfile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+var baw = window.baw = window.baw || {};
+
+
+baw.UserProfile = (function () {
+
+    /*function makeGetter(key) {
+     return function() {
+     return this[key];
+     };
+     }
+
+     function makeSetter(key, service) {
+     return function(value) {
+     if (value !== this[key]) {
+     this[key] = value;
+     service.updatePreferences(key, this);
+     }
+     };
+     }*/
+
+    function UserProfile(serviceReference, profile, defaultProfile) {
+
+        if (!(this instanceof UserProfile)) {
+            throw new Error("Constructor called as a function");
+        }
+
+        var immediateSave = false;
+        if (!profile) {
+            profile = defaultProfile;
+            immediateSave = true;
+        }
+
+        if (!defaultProfile) {
+            throw new Error("A default profile must be supplied");
+        }
+
+        // make read only properties for all profile props returned
+        var props = Object.keys(profile)
+            .reduce(function (state, current, index, array) {
+                state[current] = {
+                    value: profile[current],
+                    writeable: false,
+                    enumerable: true,
+                    configurable: false
+                };
+                return state;
+            }, {});
+        Object.defineProperties(this, props);
+
+        // now create persistence settings logic
+        var merged = angular.extend(defaultProfile.preferences, this.preferences);
+        for (var key in merged) {
+            if (!merged.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            this.preferences[key] = merged[key];
+
+            /*
+             Object.defineProperty(this.preferences,  "_" + key, {
+             value: merged[key],
+             writeable: true,
+             enumerable: false,
+             configurable: false
+             });
+
+             Object.defineProperty(this.preferences, key, {
+             get: makeGetter(key),
+             set: makeSetter(key, serviceReference),
+             configurable: false,
+             enumerable: true
+             });*/
+        }
+
+        if (immediateSave) {
+
+        }
+
+    }
+
+    return UserProfile;
+})();
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/services/userProfile.js b/src/components/services/userProfile.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..04555af7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/services/userProfile.js
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+var bawss = bawss || angular.module("bawApp.services", ["ngResource", "bawApp.configuration"]);
+
+bawss.factory("UserProfile", [
+    "$http",
+    "conf.paths",
+    "conf.constants",
+    function ($http, paths, constants) {
+        var profileUrl = paths.api.routes.user.profileAbsolute;
+        var preferencesUrl = paths.api.routes.user.settingsAbsolute;
+
+        var methods = {};
+
+        var throttleCount = 0,
+            throttleAmount = 1000;
+
+        /**
+         * Update the server's stored settings.
+         * Calls to this function are throttled.
+         * @param keyChanged - they key of the property that just changed
+         * @param object - the preferences object that will be sent back to the server
+         */
+        methods.updatePreferences = function throttleWrapper(object) {
+            console.debug("updatePreferences: throttled", object);
+            throttleCount++;
+
+            return _.throttle(
+                function updatePreferences(object) {
+                    console.debug("updatePreferences: sending to server, waited %s attempts", throttleCount);
+                    throttleCount = 0;
+
+                    $http.put(preferencesUrl).then(
+                        function success(response) {
+                            console.info("updatePreferences:success");
+                        },
+                        function error(response) {
+                            console.error("updatePreferences:failed", response);
+                        }
+                    );
+                }, throttleAmount);
+        };
+
+        methods.get = function (scope, property) {
+            scope[property] = {preferences: null};
+
+            $http.get(profileUrl).then(
+                function success(response) {
+                    console.log("User profile loaded");
+
+                    scope[property] = (new baw.UserProfile(methods, response.data, constants.defaultProfile));
+                },
+                function error(response) {
+                    console.error("User profile load failed", response);
+
+                    scope[property] = (new baw.UserProfile(methods, null, constants.defaultProfile));
+                }
+            ).finally(function () {
+                    scope.$watch(function () {
+                        return scope[property].preferences;
+                    }, function (newValue, oldValue) {
+                        if (newValue == oldValue) {
+                            return;
+                        }
+
+                        methods.updatePreferences(newValue);
+                    }, true);
+                });
+        };
+
+
+        return methods;
+    }
+]);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/services/userSettings.js b/src/components/services/userSettings.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 095d4734..00000000
--- a/src/components/services/userSettings.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-var bawss = bawss || angular.module("bawApp.services", ["ngResource", "bawApp.configuration"]);
-
-bawss.factory("UserSettings", [
-    "$http",
-    "conf.paths",
-    function($http, paths) {
-
-//        function get(callback) {
-//            $http.get(paths.api.routes.users.settings).then(
-//                function success(data, status, headers, config) {
-//                    callback(data);
-//                },
-//                function error(data, status, headers, config) {
-//                    console.error("Get user settings failed", data, status, headers, config);
-//                }
-//            )
-//        }
-
-        var UserSettings = resourcePut($resource, uriConvert(paths.api.routes.projectAbsolute), {projectId: "@projectId"});
-
-        var userSettings = UserSettings.get({recordingId: recordingId}, {});
-
-        return  userSettings;
-    }
-]);
\ No newline at end of file