Method for compressing using a fixed number of perceptual encodings a Higher Order Ambisonics representation of a sound field, denoted HOA, with non-overlapping input time frames ( C ( k)) of HOA coefficient sequences of length L, where k denotes the frame index, said method including the following steps which are carried out on a frame-by-frame basis: - concatenating (11, 12) the non-overlapping k -th and the ( k- 1)-th frames of HOA coefficient sequences into a long frame C̃ ( k), wherein the long frame is 50% overlapped with an adjacent long frame; - for the current long frame ( C̃ ( k)), estimating a set () of dominant directions and a corresponding data set () of indices of detected directional signals; - decomposing (14, 15) the HOA coefficient sequences of said current long frame into a non-fixed number of directional signals ( X DIR ( k -2)) with respective directions contained in said set () of dominant direction estimates and with a respective delayed data set of indices of said directional signals, wherein said non-fixed number is smaller than said fixed number, and into a residual ambient HOA component ( C AMB,RED ( k -2)) that is represented by a reduced number of HOA coefficient sequences and a corresponding data set of indices of said reduced number of residual ambient HOA coefficient sequences, which reduced number corresponds to the difference between said fixed number and said non-fixed number; - assigning said directional signals ( X DIR ( k -2)) and the HOA coefficient sequences of said residual ambient HOA component ( C AMB,RED ( k -2)) to a frame ( Y(k-2)) of channels the number of which corresponds to said fixed number, wherein for said assigning said delayed data set of indices of said directional signals and said data set of indices of said reduced number of residual ambient HOA coefficient sequences are used; - perceptually encoding said channels of the related frame ( Y ( k- 2)) so as to provide an encoded compressed frame Y ⌣ k − 2. - concatenating (11, 12) the non-overlapping k -th and the ( k- 1)-th frames of HOA coefficient sequences into a long frame C̃ ( k), wherein the long frame is 50% overlapped with an adjacent long frame; - for the current long frame ( C̃ ( k)), estimating a set () of dominant directions and a corresponding data set () of indices of detected directional signals; - decomposing (14, 15) the HOA coefficient sequences of said current long frame into a non-fixed number of directional signals ( X DIR ( k -2)) with respective directions contained in said set () of dominant direction estimates and with a respective delayed data set of indices of said directional signals, wherein said non-fixed number is smaller than said fixed number, and into a residual ambient HOA component ( C AMB,RED ( k -2)) that is represented by a reduced number of HOA coefficient sequences and a corresponding data set of indices of said reduced number of residual ambient HOA coefficient sequences, which reduced number corresponds to the difference between said fixed number and said non-fixed number; - assigning said directional signals ( X DIR ( k -2)) and the HOA coefficient sequences of said residual ambient HOA component ( C AMB,RED ( k -2)) to a frame ( Y(k-2)) of channels the number of which corresponds to said fixed number, wherein for said assigning said delayed data set of indices of said directional signals and said data set of indices of said reduced number of residual ambient HOA coefficient sequences are used; - perceptually encoding said channels of the related frame ( Y ( k- 2)) so as to provide an encoded compressed frame Y ⌣ k − 2.