An audio decoding method comprising: receiving a two-channel downmix signal ( L 1, L 2) and upmix parameters for reconstructing an M -channel audio signal based on the downmix signal, wherein M ≥ 4; receiving signaling indicating a selected one of at least two coding formats of the M -channel audio signal, wherein the coding formats correspond to different partitions of the channels of the M -channel audio signal into respective first and second groups (601, 602) of one or more channels, wherein, in the indicated coding format, a first channel of the downmix signal corresponds to a linear combination of the first group of one or more channels of the M -channel audio signal and a second channel of the downmix signal corresponds to a linear combination of the second group of one or more channels of the M -channel audio signal; determining a set of pre-decorrelation coefficients based on the indicated coding format; computing a decorrelation input signal ( D 1, D 2,D 3) as a linear mapping of the downmix signal, wherein the set of pre-decorrelation coefficients is applied to the downmix signal; and generating a decorrelated signal based on the decorrelation input signal; determining a set of upmix coefficients of a first type and a set of upmix coefficients of a second type based on the received upmix parameters and the indicated coding format; computing an upmix signal of a first type as a linear mapping of the downmix signal, wherein the set of upmix coefficients of the first type is applied to the downmix signal; computing an upmix signal of a second type as a linear mapping of the decorrelated signal, wherein the set of upmix coefficients of the second type is applied to the decorrelated signal; and combining the upmix signal of the first type and the upmix signal of the second type to obtain a multidimensional reconstructed signal corresponding to the M -channel audio signal to be reconstructed, characterized in that the M -channel audio signal has a predefined channel configuration, and the indicated selected coding format switches between the at least two coding formats; and the method further comprises:in response to detecting a switch of the indicated coding format from a first coding format to a second coding format, performing a gradual transition from pre-decorrelation coefficient values associated with the first coding format to pre-decorrelation coefficient values associated with the second coding format. receiving a two-channel downmix signal ( L 1, L 2) and upmix parameters for reconstructing an M -channel audio signal based on the downmix signal, wherein M ≥ 4; receiving signaling indicating a selected one of at least two coding formats of the M -channel audio signal, wherein the coding formats correspond to different partitions of the channels of the M -channel audio signal into respective first and second groups (601, 602) of one or more channels, wherein, in the indicated coding format, a first channel of the downmix signal corresponds to a linear combination of the first group of one or more channels of the M -channel audio signal and a second channel of the downmix signal corresponds to a linear combination of the second group of one or more channels of the M -channel audio signal; determining a set of pre-decorrelation coefficients based on the indicated coding format; computing a decorrelation input signal ( D 1, D 2,D 3) as a linear mapping of the downmix signal, wherein the set of pre-decorrelation coefficients is applied to the downmix signal; and generating a decorrelated signal based on the decorrelation input signal; determining a set of upmix coefficients of a first type and a set of upmix coefficients of a second type based on the received upmix parameters and the indicated coding format; computing an upmix signal of a first type as a linear mapping of the downmix signal, wherein the set of upmix coefficients of the first type is applied to the downmix signal; computing an upmix signal of a second type as a linear mapping of the decorrelated signal, wherein the set of upmix coefficients of the second type is applied to the decorrelated signal; and combining the upmix signal of the first type and the upmix signal of the second type to obtain a multidimensional reconstructed signal corresponding to the M -channel audio signal to be reconstructed, characterized in that the M -channel audio signal has a predefined channel configuration, and the indicated selected coding format switches between the at least two coding formats; and the method further comprises:in response to detecting a switch of the indicated coding format from a first coding format to a second coding format, performing a gradual transition from pre-decorrelation coefficient values associated with the first coding format to pre-decorrelation coefficient values associated with the second coding format.