In an audio coding and quantization method, each of spectral subband components of an audio signal is quantized whereby a quantizer step size for a related one of spectral subbands is obtained from a bit allocation. The bit allocation is controlled for each subband by using a psychoacoustic model. During the controlling, a quantization of frequency domain values of a related one of blocks is calculated through a first control loop, the first control loop being repeated until a bit rate requirement is met. A quantization noise for each subband, produced within the first control loop, is calculated through a second control loop, the second control loop being repeated until a masking requirement is met. The first control loop and the second control loop are alternately performed for the related block such that both the requirements are met, and, thereafter, an output vector of quantized frequency domain values is finally produced. <IMAGE>
Audio coding and quantization method