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arXiv · 2610.17459

Co-Adaptive Entropy Modeling and Rate-Distortion-Optimal Bit Allocation for Perceptual Audio Coding

Abstract

We present a perceptual audio coder in which the entropy-coding model and the bit allocation co-adapt across blocks without model side information. Mantissas are coded by a hybrid of bit packing and arithmetic coding with per-band probability models learned online. Encoder and decoder accumulate identical histograms from decoded blocks and advance the same model state. The model enters bit allocation directly: per-band rate--distortion frontiers combine measured perceptual distortion with entropy-coded rate estimates under the current model, and a dynamic program attains the exact minimum of total objective perceptual distortion for each block's budget under the model's rate estimates, with reservoir carry-over. Under a strict per-block rate, entropy-coding-aware bit allocation lowers this distortion (band noise-to-mask ratio in linear scale) by 15-24% relative to the same solver without it, and co-adaptation removes a further 3-4% (up to 15% on oboe) that a backward-adaptive coder alone cannot realize in one pass; a MUSHRA test at 80 kbps per channel confirms the ranking.

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BibTeXRIS

Soohyun Kim, Jiwon Jeong, Marina Bosi. 2026-10-12. Co-Adaptive Entropy Modeling and Rate-Distortion-Optimal Bit Allocation for Perceptual Audio Coding. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.17459

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