1. In a distributed speech recognition system comprising a first communication device which receives a speech input, encodes data representative of the speech input, and transmits the encoded data and a second remotely-located communication device which receives the encoded data and compares the encoded data with a known data set, a method of reconstructing the speech input at the second communication device comprising the steps of: receiving encoded data including encoded spectral data and encoded energy data; decoding the encoded spectral data and encoded energy data to determine the spectral data and energy data; and combining the spectral data and energy data to reconstruct the speech input.