diff --git a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
index e2d2dd499b..1e3dc11338 100644
--- a/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
+++ b/libraries/audio-client/src/AudioClient.cpp
@@ -433,21 +433,8 @@ bool adjustedFormatForAudioDevice(const QAudioDeviceInfo& audioDevice,
     for (int channelCount : (desiredAudioFormat.channelCount() == 1 ? inputChannels : outputChannels)) {
         for (int sampleRate : sampleRates) {
 
-            // int16_t samples
             adjustedAudioFormat.setChannelCount(channelCount);
             adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleRate(sampleRate);
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleSize(16);
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleType(QAudioFormat::SignedInt);
-
-            if (audioDevice.isFormatSupported(adjustedAudioFormat)) {
-                return true;
-            }
-
-            // float samples
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setChannelCount(channelCount);
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleRate(sampleRate);
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleSize(32);
-            adjustedAudioFormat.setSampleType(QAudioFormat::Float);
 
             if (audioDevice.isFormatSupported(adjustedAudioFormat)) {
                 return true;
@@ -1558,15 +1545,11 @@ float AudioClient::gainForSource(float distance, float volume) {
     return gain;
 }
 
-qint64 AudioClient::AudioOutputIODevice::readData(char* data, qint64 maxSize) {
-
-    // data can be int16_t* or float*
-    int sampleSize = _audio->_outputFormat.sampleSize() / 8;
-    bool isFloat = _audio->_outputFormat.sampleType() == QAudioFormat::SampleType::Float;
+qint64 AudioClient::AudioOutputIODevice::readData(char * data, qint64 maxSize) {
 
     // samples requested from OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT
     int deviceChannelCount = _audio->_outputFormat.channelCount();
-    int samplesRequested = (int)(maxSize / sampleSize) * OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT / deviceChannelCount;
+    int samplesRequested = (int)(maxSize / AudioConstants::SAMPLE_SIZE) * OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT / deviceChannelCount;
 
     int samplesPopped;
     int bytesWritten;
@@ -1576,24 +1559,14 @@ qint64 AudioClient::AudioOutputIODevice::readData(char* data, qint64 maxSize) {
         AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator lastPopOutput = _receivedAudioStream.getLastPopOutput();
 
         // if required, upmix or downmix to deviceChannelCount
-        if (isFloat) {
-            if (deviceChannelCount == OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamples((float*)data, samplesPopped);
-            } else if (deviceChannelCount > OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithUpmix((float*)data, samplesPopped, deviceChannelCount - OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT);
-            } else {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithDownmix((float*)data, samplesPopped);
-            }
+        if (deviceChannelCount == OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
+            lastPopOutput.readSamples((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped);
+        } else if (deviceChannelCount > OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
+            lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithUpmix((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped, deviceChannelCount - OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT);
         } else {
-            if (deviceChannelCount == OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamples((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped);
-            } else if (deviceChannelCount > OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT) {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithUpmix((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped, deviceChannelCount - OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT);
-            } else {
-                lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithDownmix((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped);
-            }
+            lastPopOutput.readSamplesWithDownmix((int16_t*)data, samplesPopped);
         }
-        bytesWritten = (samplesPopped * sampleSize) * deviceChannelCount / OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT;
+        bytesWritten = (samplesPopped * AudioConstants::SAMPLE_SIZE) * deviceChannelCount / OUTPUT_CHANNEL_COUNT;
     } else {
         // nothing on network, don't grab anything from injectors, and just return 0s
         // this will flood the log: qCDebug(audioclient, "empty/partial network buffer");
diff --git a/libraries/audio/src/AudioRingBuffer.h b/libraries/audio/src/AudioRingBuffer.h
index 38ca319156..29e7a9e998 100644
--- a/libraries/audio/src/AudioRingBuffer.h
+++ b/libraries/audio/src/AudioRingBuffer.h
@@ -103,11 +103,10 @@ public:
         ConstIterator operator+(int i);
         ConstIterator operator-(int i);
 
-        // dest can be int16_t* or float*
-        template<typename T> void readSamples(T* dest, int numSamples);
-        template<typename T> void readSamplesWithFade(T* dest, int numSamples, float fade);
-        template<typename T> void readSamplesWithUpmix(T* dest, int numSamples, int numExtraChannels);
-        template<typename T> void readSamplesWithDownmix(T* dest, int numSamples);
+        void readSamples(int16_t* dest, int numSamples);
+        void readSamplesWithFade(int16_t* dest, int numSamples, float fade);
+        void readSamplesWithUpmix(int16_t* dest, int numSamples, int numExtraChannels);
+        void readSamplesWithDownmix(int16_t* dest, int numSamples);
 
     private:
         int16_t* atShiftedBy(int i);
@@ -204,28 +203,6 @@ inline int16_t* AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::atShiftedBy(int i) {
     return _bufferFirst + i;
 }
 
-inline AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator AudioRingBuffer::nextOutput() const {
-    return ConstIterator(_buffer, _bufferLength, _nextOutput);
-}
-
-inline AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator AudioRingBuffer::lastFrameWritten() const {
-    return ConstIterator(_buffer, _bufferLength, _endOfLastWrite) - _numFrameSamples;
-}
-
-//
-// dest can be int16_t* or float*
-//
-template<typename T>
-inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamples(T* dest, int numSamples) {
-    int16_t* at = _at;
-    for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; i++) {
-        *dest++ = (T)*at;
-        at = (at == _bufferLast) ? _bufferFirst : at + 1;
-    }
-}
-
-// fast path for int16_t*
-template<>
 inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamples(int16_t* dest, int numSamples) {
     auto samplesToEnd = _bufferLast - _at + 1;
 
@@ -241,17 +218,16 @@ inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamples(int16_t* dest, int numSa
     }
 }
 
-template<typename T>
-inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithFade(T* dest, int numSamples, float fade) {
+inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithFade(int16_t* dest, int numSamples, float fade) {
     int16_t* at = _at;
     for (int i = 0; i < numSamples; i++) {
-        *dest++ = (T)(*at * fade);
+        *dest = (float)*at * fade;
+        ++dest;
         at = (at == _bufferLast) ? _bufferFirst : at + 1;
     }
 }
 
-template<typename T>
-inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithUpmix(T* dest, int numSamples, int numExtraChannels) {
+inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithUpmix(int16_t* dest, int numSamples, int numExtraChannels) {
     int16_t* at = _at;
     for (int i = 0; i < numSamples/2; i++) {
 
@@ -262,16 +238,15 @@ inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithUpmix(T* dest, int nu
         at = (at == _bufferLast) ? _bufferFirst : at + 1;
 
         // write 2 + N samples
-        *dest++ = (T)left;
-        *dest++ = (T)right;
+        *dest++ = left;
+        *dest++ = right;
         for (int n = 0; n < numExtraChannels; n++) {
-            *dest++ = (T)0;
+            *dest++ = 0;
         }
     }
 }
 
-template<typename T>
-inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithDownmix(T* dest, int numSamples) {
+inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithDownmix(int16_t* dest, int numSamples) {
     int16_t* at = _at;
     for (int i = 0; i < numSamples/2; i++) {
 
@@ -282,8 +257,16 @@ inline void AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator::readSamplesWithDownmix(T* dest, int
         at = (at == _bufferLast) ? _bufferFirst : at + 1;
 
         // write 1 sample
-        *dest++ = (T)((left + right) / 2);
+        *dest++ = (int16_t)((left + right) / 2);
     }
 }
 
+inline AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator AudioRingBuffer::nextOutput() const {
+    return ConstIterator(_buffer, _bufferLength, _nextOutput);
+}
+
+inline AudioRingBuffer::ConstIterator AudioRingBuffer::lastFrameWritten() const {
+    return ConstIterator(_buffer, _bufferLength, _endOfLastWrite) - _numFrameSamples;
+}
+
 #endif // hifi_AudioRingBuffer_h