An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information includes a arithmetic decoder for providing a plurality of decoded spectral values on the basis of an arithmetically-encoded representation of the spectral values and a frequency-domain-to-time-domain converter for providing a time-domain audio representation using the decoded spectral values. The arithmetic decoder is configured to select a mapping rule describing a mapping of a code value onto a symbol code in dependence on a context state. The arithmetic decoder is configured to determine or modify the current context state in dependence on a plurality of previously-decoded spectral values. The arithmetic decoder is configured to detect a group of a plurality of previously-decoded spectral values, which fulfill, individually or taken together, a predetermined condition regarding their magnitudes, and to determine the current context state in dependence on a result of the detection.An audio encoder uses similar principles.