diff --git a/src/Dependencies.cpp b/src/Dependencies.cpp
index e6b8e5a6f..5b1730582 100644
--- a/src/Dependencies.cpp
+++ b/src/Dependencies.cpp
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ AliasedFile s.
 #include "FileFormats.h"
 #include "Prefs.h"
 #include "Project.h"
-#include "ProjectSettings.h"
 #include "Sequence.h"
 #include "ShuttleGui.h"
 #include "WaveTrack.h"
 #include "WaveClip.h"
+#include "prefs/QualityPrefs.h"
 #include "widgets/AudacityMessageBox.h"
 #include "widgets/ProgressDialog.h"
 
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ static void ReplaceBlockFiles(BlockPtrArray &blocks,
 void FindDependencies(AudacityProject *project,
                       AliasedFileArray &outAliasedFiles)
 {
-   const auto &settings = ProjectSettings::Get( *project );
-   sampleFormat format = settings.GetDefaultFormat();
+   sampleFormat format = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
 
    BlockPtrArray blocks;
    GetAllSeqBlocks(project, &blocks);
@@ -168,7 +167,6 @@ static void RemoveDependencies(AudacityProject *project,
 // STRONG-GUARANTEE
 {
    auto &dirManager = DirManager::Get( *project );
-   const auto &settings = ProjectSettings::Get( *project );
 
    ProgressDialog progress(
       XO("Removing Dependencies"),
@@ -188,7 +186,7 @@ static void RemoveDependencies(AudacityProject *project,
    BlockPtrArray blocks;
    GetAllSeqBlocks(project, &blocks);
 
-   const sampleFormat format = settings.GetDefaultFormat();
+   const sampleFormat format = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
    ReplacedBlockFileHash blockFileHash;
    wxLongLong completedBytes = 0;
    for (const auto blockFile : blocks) {
diff --git a/src/ProjectSettings.cpp b/src/ProjectSettings.cpp
index 51df8c82e..43d5cfdad 100644
--- a/src/ProjectSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/ProjectSettings.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ Paul Licameli split from AudacityProject.cpp
 
 #include "AudioIOBase.h"
 #include "Project.h"
-#include "prefs/QualityPrefs.h"
 #include "widgets/NumericTextCtrl.h"
 #include "prefs/TracksBehaviorsPrefs.h"
 
@@ -62,7 +61,6 @@ ProjectSettings::ProjectSettings( AudacityProject &project )
    NumericConverter::BANDWIDTH,
    gPrefs->Read(wxT("/BandwidthSelectionFormatName"), wxT("")) )
 }
-, mDefaultFormat{ QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice() }
 , mSnapTo( gPrefs->Read(wxT("/SnapTo"), SNAP_OFF) )
 {
    if (!gPrefs->Read(wxT("/SamplingRate/DefaultProjectSampleRate"), &mRate,
@@ -115,8 +113,6 @@ void ProjectSettings::UpdatePrefs()
       bar.SetRate( mRate );
    }
 #endif
-
-   mDefaultFormat = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
 }
 
 const NumericFormatSymbol &
diff --git a/src/ProjectSettings.h b/src/ProjectSettings.h
index 08b1a7400..102ddbfbe 100644
--- a/src/ProjectSettings.h
+++ b/src/ProjectSettings.h
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ public:
    ProjectSettings( const ProjectSettings & ) PROHIBITED;
    ProjectSettings &operator=( const ProjectSettings & ) PROHIBITED;
 
-   sampleFormat GetDefaultFormat() const { return mDefaultFormat; }
-
    double GetRate() const { return mRate; }
    void SetRate( double value ) { mRate = value; }
 
@@ -131,7 +129,6 @@ private:
    // the main
    std::atomic<double> mPlaySpeed{};
 
-   sampleFormat mDefaultFormat;
    int mSnapTo;
 
    int mCurrentTool;
diff --git a/src/WaveTrack.cpp b/src/WaveTrack.cpp
index cf9295454..7c88b1ab5 100644
--- a/src/WaveTrack.cpp
+++ b/src/WaveTrack.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ Track classes.
 #include "Prefs.h"
 
 #include "effects/TimeWarper.h"
+#include "prefs/QualityPrefs.h"
 #include "prefs/SpectrogramSettings.h"
 #include "prefs/TracksPrefs.h"
 #include "prefs/WaveformSettings.h"
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ WaveTrack::Holder TrackFactory::DuplicateWaveTrack(const WaveTrack &orig)
 WaveTrack::Holder TrackFactory::NewWaveTrack(sampleFormat format, double rate)
 {
    if (format == (sampleFormat)0)
-      format = mSettings.GetDefaultFormat();
+      format = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
    if (rate == 0)
       rate = mSettings.GetRate();
    return std::make_shared<WaveTrack> ( mDirManager, format, rate );
diff --git a/src/menus/TrackMenus.cpp b/src/menus/TrackMenus.cpp
index 496fcddfb..2c53646db 100644
--- a/src/menus/TrackMenus.cpp
+++ b/src/menus/TrackMenus.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include "../commands/CommandManager.h"
 #include "../effects/EffectManager.h"
 #include "../effects/EffectUI.h"
+#include "../prefs/QualityPrefs.h"
 #include "../tracks/playabletrack/wavetrack/ui/WaveTrackControls.h"
 #include "../widgets/ASlider.h"
 #include "../widgets/AudacityMessageBox.h"
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ void DoMixAndRender
    auto &tracks = TrackList::Get( project );
    auto &trackFactory = TrackFactory::Get( project );
    auto rate = settings.GetRate();
-   auto defaultFormat = settings.GetDefaultFormat();
+   auto defaultFormat = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
    auto &trackPanel = TrackPanel::Get( project );
    auto &window = ProjectWindow::Get( project );
 
@@ -597,7 +598,8 @@ void OnNewWaveTrack(const CommandContext &context)
    auto &trackFactory = TrackFactory::Get( project );
    auto &window = ProjectWindow::Get( project );
 
-   auto defaultFormat = settings.GetDefaultFormat();
+   auto defaultFormat = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
+
    auto rate = settings.GetRate();
 
    auto t = tracks.Add( trackFactory.NewWaveTrack( defaultFormat, rate ) );
@@ -620,7 +622,7 @@ void OnNewStereoTrack(const CommandContext &context)
    auto &trackFactory = TrackFactory::Get( project );
    auto &window = ProjectWindow::Get( project );
 
-   auto defaultFormat = settings.GetDefaultFormat();
+   auto defaultFormat = QualityPrefs::SampleFormatChoice();
    auto rate = settings.GetRate();
 
    SelectUtilities::SelectNone( project );