diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index a4159d29..e6b1abd2 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -5339,8 +5339,6 @@ <h4 class="autoeq-database-title">Database</h4>
                                         <select id="download-quality-setting">
                                             <option value="HI_RES_LOSSLESS">Hi-Res Lossless (24-bit)</option>
                                             <option value="LOSSLESS">Lossless (16-bit)</option>
-                                            <option value="HIGH">AAC 320kbps</option>
-                                            <option value="LOW">AAC 96kbps</option>
                                         </select>
                                     </div>
                                     <div class="setting-item" id="hi-res-download-warning" style="display: none">
diff --git a/js/api.js b/js/api.js
index 092bcc69..5eb0258e 100644
--- a/js/api.js
+++ b/js/api.js
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ function notifyAudioSourceMissing() {
     import('./downloads.js').then((m) => m.showNotification('Could not find Audio Source')).catch(() => {});
 }
 
+// HIGH and LOW are advertised as AAC in the UI, but Qobuz doesn't serve AAC.
+// We pull a lossless FLAC source and transcode to AAC client-side
+// (see applyAudioPostProcessing), so any quality in this set must be
+// fetched as LOSSLESS even though the user-facing label says otherwise.
+function qualityNeedsLosslessSource(quality) {
+    return isCustomFormat(quality) || quality === 'HIGH' || quality === 'LOW';
+}
+
 export class LosslessAPI {
     constructor(settings) {
         this.settings = settings;
@@ -1941,7 +1949,7 @@ export class LosslessAPI {
         const id = input?.id || input;
         const track = typeof input === 'object' && input.isrc ? input : await this.getTrackMetadata(id);
         const isVideo = track?.type?.toLowerCase().includes('video');
-        const cleanQuality = isCustomFormat(downloadQuality) ? 'LOSSLESS' : downloadQuality;
+        const cleanQuality = qualityNeedsLosslessSource(downloadQuality) ? 'LOSSLESS' : downloadQuality;
 
         let lookup = null;
         let qobuzRgInfo = null;
@@ -2072,8 +2080,10 @@ export class LosslessAPI {
         let prefetchPromises = null;
 
         try {
-            // Custom FFMPEG formats are not native TIDAL qualities; download LOSSLESS and transcode
-            let downloadQuality = isCustomFormat(quality) ? 'LOSSLESS' : quality;
+            // Custom FFMPEG formats (and HIGH/LOW, which are transcoded to AAC client-side
+            // because Qobuz doesn't serve AAC) are not native source qualities; download
+            // LOSSLESS and transcode in applyAudioPostProcessing.
+            let downloadQuality = qualityNeedsLosslessSource(quality) ? 'LOSSLESS' : quality;
 
             const enriched = await this.enrichTrack(inputTrack || id, { downloadQuality });
             const { lookup, enrichedTrack, isVideo } = enriched;
diff --git a/js/api.test.ts b/js/api.test.ts
index b2a8b296..d24e8e05 100644
--- a/js/api.test.ts
+++ b/js/api.test.ts
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ suite('Track Downloads', async () => {
             preferDolbyAtmos: false,
             trackId: SILENCE_TRACK,
             detection: Detection.AacHigh,
-            ffmpegCalls: 0,
+            ffmpegCalls: 1,
         },
         {
             display_quality: 'Low',
@@ -205,9 +205,18 @@ suite('Track Downloads', async () => {
             preferDolbyAtmos: false,
             trackId: SILENCE_TRACK,
             detection: Detection.AacLow,
-            ffmpegCalls: 0,
+            ffmpegCalls: 1,
         },
 
+        {
+            display_quality: 'AAC 320',
+            quality: 'FFMPEG_AAC_320',
+            container: 'flac',
+            preferDolbyAtmos: false,
+            trackId: SILENCE_TRACK,
+            detection: Detection.AacHigh,
+            ffmpegCalls: 1,
+        },
         {
             display_quality: 'AAC 256',
             quality: 'FFMPEG_AAC_256',
@@ -217,6 +226,15 @@ suite('Track Downloads', async () => {
             detection: Detection.AAC_256,
             ffmpegCalls: 1,
         },
+        {
+            display_quality: 'AAC 96',
+            quality: 'FFMPEG_AAC_96',
+            container: 'flac',
+            preferDolbyAtmos: false,
+            trackId: SILENCE_TRACK,
+            detection: Detection.AacLow,
+            ffmpegCalls: 1,
+        },
 
         {
             display_quality: 'MP3 320',
@@ -369,7 +387,7 @@ suite('Track Downloads', async () => {
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().codec).toBe(Mp4Codec.AAC);
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitsPerSample).toBe(16);
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().sampleRate).toBe(44100);
-                expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitrate).toBe(97);
+                expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitrate).toBe(96);
                 break;
             }
             case Detection.AacReallyLow: {
@@ -387,7 +405,9 @@ suite('Track Downloads', async () => {
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().codec).toBe(Mp4Codec.AAC);
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitsPerSample).toBe(16);
                 expect(mp4.audioProperties().sampleRate).toBe(44100);
-                expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitrate).toBe(322);
+                // SILENCE_TRACK transcoded with -b:a 320k: ffmpeg's AAC encoder
+                // drops the actual bitrate well below the target on silent audio.
+                expect(mp4.audioProperties().bitrate).toBe(239);
                 break;
             }
 
diff --git a/js/download-utils.ts b/js/download-utils.ts
index 8254244c..2af251d8 100644
--- a/js/download-utils.ts
+++ b/js/download-utils.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
     getContainerFormat,
     transcodeWithContainerFormat,
 } from './ffmpegFormats';
-import { ffmpegInfo, ffmpegNewContainer, ffmpeg } from './ffmpeg';
+import { ffmpegInfo, ffmpegNewContainer } from './ffmpeg';
 
 /**
  * Triggers a browser file download for the given blob.
@@ -29,12 +29,15 @@ export function triggerDownload(blob: Blob, filename: string): void {
  * Apply post-processing to an audio Blob according to the requested quality.
  *
  * This function:
+ * - Remaps the legacy "HIGH"/"LOW" quality strings to FFMPEG_AAC_320/FFMPEG_AAC_96 so all
+ *   lossy outputs flow through one transcoding path.
  * - Detects the source container/extension via getExtensionFromBlob.
  * - Determines whether the source is lossless:
  *   - FLAC is always lossless.
  *   - M4A is treated as lossless only when trackAudioQuality is "LOSSLESS" or "HI_RES_LOSSLESS".
  * - If a custom lossy format is requested (isCustomFormat(quality)):
- *   - If the source is already lossy, returns the original Blob to avoid quality degradation.
+ *   - If the source extension already matches the target extension, returns the original Blob
+ *     to avoid a pointless re-encode.
  *   - Otherwise, obtains the custom format via getCustomFormat and transcodes using
  *     transcodeWithCustomFormat(...). Progress events are reported via onProgress.
  *   - If encoding fails, onProgress is notified with an error stage and the original error is rethrown.
@@ -71,6 +74,12 @@ export async function applyAudioPostProcessing(
     signal: AbortSignal | null = null,
     trackAudioQuality: string | null = null
 ): Promise<Blob> {
+    // Qobuz never serves AAC, so HIGH/LOW are fetched as lossless FLAC and
+    // transcoded client-side. Map them to the equivalent custom AAC formats
+    // so they flow through the same code path as FFMPEG_AAC_* qualities.
+    if (quality === 'HIGH') quality = 'FFMPEG_AAC_320';
+    else if (quality === 'LOW') quality = 'FFMPEG_AAC_96';
+
     const extension = await getExtensionFromBlob(blob);
     const statedLossless = (trackAudioQuality || quality).endsWith('LOSSLESS');
 
@@ -90,13 +99,14 @@ export async function applyAudioPostProcessing(
 
     // Transcode to custom lossy format if requested
     if (isCustomFormat(quality)) {
-        // If the source is already lossy, transcoding would degrade quality
-        // further (lossy → lossy).  Return the blob as-is instead.
-        if (!sourceIsLossless) {
-            return blob;
-        }
         const format = getCustomFormat(quality);
         if (format) {
+            // Skip the transcode if the source already matches the target container
+            // (e.g. a provider unexpectedly serves AAC for FFMPEG_AAC_*). Avoids a
+            // pointless lossy→lossy re-encode.
+            if (extension === format.extension) {
+                return blob;
+            }
             try {
                 blob = await transcodeWithCustomFormat(blob, format, onProgress, signal);
 
@@ -113,29 +123,6 @@ export async function applyAudioPostProcessing(
         }
     }
 
-    // Source is lossless but user requested lossy quality (HIGH/LOW).
-    // This can happen when Qobuz returns FLAC regardless of the quality param.
-    // Transcode to AAC to match expected lossy output.
-    if (sourceIsLossless && !statedLossless && !isCustomFormat(quality)) {
-        try {
-            const bitrateMap: Record<string, string> = { HIGH: '320k', FFMPEG_AAC_256: '256k', LOW: '96k' };
-            const bitrate = bitrateMap[quality] || '256k';
-            blob = await ffmpeg(blob, {
-                args: ['-map_metadata', '-1', '-c:a', 'aac', '-b:a', bitrate],
-                outputName: 'output.m4a',
-                outputMime: 'audio/mp4',
-                onProgress,
-                signal,
-            });
-            return blob;
-        } catch (error) {
-            if ((error as Error)?.name === 'AbortError' || signal?.aborted) {
-                throw error;
-            }
-            console.warn('Lossy transcode failed, returning lossless source:', error);
-        }
-    }
-
     if (statedLossless) {
         try {
             const containerName = losslessContainerSettings.getContainer();
diff --git a/js/ffmpegFormats.ts b/js/ffmpegFormats.ts
index 0e1e22c0..4503990a 100644
--- a/js/ffmpegFormats.ts
+++ b/js/ffmpegFormats.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,14 @@ export const customFormats: Record<string, CustomFormat> = {
         extension: 'ogg',
         category: 'OGG',
     },
+    FFMPEG_AAC_320: {
+        displayName: 'AAC 320kbps',
+        ffmpegArgs: ['-map_metadata', '-1', '-c:a', 'aac', '-b:a', '320k'],
+        outputFilename: 'output.m4a',
+        outputMime: 'audio/mp4',
+        extension: 'm4a',
+        category: 'AAC',
+    },
     FFMPEG_AAC_256: {
         displayName: 'AAC 256kbps',
         ffmpegArgs: ['-map_metadata', '-1', '-c:a', 'aac', '-b:a', '256k'],
@@ -128,6 +136,14 @@ export const customFormats: Record<string, CustomFormat> = {
         extension: 'm4a',
         category: 'AAC',
     },
+    FFMPEG_AAC_96: {
+        displayName: 'AAC 96kbps',
+        ffmpegArgs: ['-map_metadata', '-1', '-c:a', 'aac', '-b:a', '96k'],
+        outputFilename: 'output.m4a',
+        outputMime: 'audio/mp4',
+        extension: 'm4a',
+        category: 'AAC',
+    },
 };
 
 // Add wav to custom formats when vite is in dev mode
diff --git a/js/settings.js b/js/settings.js
index 58e04d28..4018b01f 100644
--- a/js/settings.js
+++ b/js/settings.js
@@ -877,8 +877,6 @@ export async function initializeSettings(scrobbler, player, api, ui) {
         const staticCategories = {
             HI_RES_LOSSLESS: 'Lossless',
             LOSSLESS: 'Lossless',
-            HIGH: 'AAC',
-            LOW: 'AAC',
         };
 
         // Collect static options first (preserving their original order)