Method for arithmetic decoding of a current spectral coefficient using preceding spectral coefficients, said preceding spectral coefficients being already decoded, wherein said preceding spectral coefficients and said current spectral coefficients, are comprised in one or more quantised spectra resulting from quantising time-frequency-transformed video, audio or speech signal sample values, said method comprising the steps: - processing the preceding spectral coefficients; - using the processed preceding spectral coefficients for determining a context class out of at least two different context classes; - using the determined context class and a mapping from the at least two different context classes to at least two different probability density functions for determining the probability density function; and - arithmetic decoding the current spectral coefficient based on the determined probability density function,, wherein said processing of the preceding spectral coefficients comprises the steps: - a first quantising in which the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients are quantised according a first quantisation scheme; - determining a variance of the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according to the first quantisation scheme; - using the determined variance for selecting one of at least two different non-linear second quantisation schemes; and - a second quantising in which the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according the first quantisation scheme are further quantised according to the selected non-linear second quantisation scheme, and wherein the step of determining the variance of the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according the first quantisation scheme comprises - determining a sum of the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according the first quantisation scheme and comparing the determined sum with at least one threshold. - processing the preceding spectral coefficients; - using the processed preceding spectral coefficients for determining a context class out of at least two different context classes; - using the determined context class and a mapping from the at least two different context classes to at least two different probability density functions for determining the probability density function; and - arithmetic decoding the current spectral coefficient based on the determined probability density function,, - a first quantising in which the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients are quantised according a first quantisation scheme; - determining a variance of the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according to the first quantisation scheme; - using the determined variance for selecting one of at least two different non-linear second quantisation schemes; and - a second quantising in which the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according the first quantisation scheme are further quantised according to the selected non-linear second quantisation scheme, and - determining a sum of the absolute values of the preceding spectral coefficients quantised according the first quantisation scheme and comparing the determined sum with at least one threshold.