Audio encoder for generating an encoded representation of a first and a second input audio signal, comprising: a correlation estimator adapted to derive correlation information indicating a correlation between the first and the second input audio signals; a signal characteristic estimator adapted to derive signal characterization information, the signal characterization information indicating a first or a second, different characteristic of the first and the second input audio signals; a phase estimator adapted to derive phase information when the input audio signals have the first characteristic, the phase information indicating a phase relation between the first and the second input audio signals; and an output interface, adapted to include the phase information and a correlation measure into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the first characteristic; or the correlation information into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, wherein the phase information is not included when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, wherein the first signal characteristic indicated by the signal characteristic estimator is a speech characteristic, and wherein the second signal characteristic indicated by the signal characteristic estimator is a music characteristic, or wherein the phase estimator is adapted to derive the phase information using the correlation information, and wherein the correlation estimator is adapted to generate an ICC-parameter as the correlation information, the ICC-parameter represented by a real part of a complex cross-correlation ICC complex of sampled signal segments of the first and the second input audio signal, each signal segment being represented by 1 sample values X(l), wherein the ICC-parameter can be described by the following formula: ICC = Re ∑ e X 1 l X 2 * l ∑ e | X 1 l | 2 ∑ e | X 2 l | 2, and wherein the output interface is adapted to include the phase information into the encoded representation, when the correlation information is smaller than a predetermined threshold, or further comprising a correlation information modifier adapted to derive the correlation measure such that the correlation measure indicates a higher correlation than the correlation information; and wherein the output interface is adapted to include the correlation measure instead of the correlation information. a correlation estimator adapted to derive correlation information indicating a correlation between the first and the second input audio signals; a signal characteristic estimator adapted to derive signal characterization information, the signal characterization information indicating a first or a second, different characteristic of the first and the second input audio signals; a phase estimator adapted to derive phase information when the input audio signals have the first characteristic, the phase information indicating a phase relation between the first and the second input audio signals; and an output interface, adapted to include the phase information and a correlation measure into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the first characteristic; or the correlation information into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, wherein the phase information is not included when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, the phase information and a correlation measure into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the first characteristic; or the correlation information into the encoded representation when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, wherein the phase information is not included when the input audio signals have the second characteristic, wherein the first signal characteristic indicated by the signal characteristic estimator is a speech characteristic, and wherein the second signal characteristic indicated by the signal characteristic estimator is a music characteristic, or wherein the phase estimator is adapted to derive the phase information using the correlation information, and wherein the correlation estimator is adapted to generate an ICC-parameter as the correlation information, the ICC-parameter represented by a real part of a complex cross-correlation ICC complex of sampled signal segments of the first and the second input audio signal, each signal segment being represented by 1 sample values X(l), wherein the ICC-parameter can be described by the following formula: ICC = Re ∑ e X 1 l X 2 * l ∑ e | X 1 l | 2 ∑ e | X 2 l | 2, and wherein the output interface is adapted to include the phase information into the encoded representation, when the correlation information is smaller than a predetermined threshold, or further comprising a correlation information modifier adapted to derive the correlation measure such that the correlation measure indicates a higher correlation than the correlation information; and wherein the output interface is adapted to include the correlation measure instead of the correlation information.