Not a useful answer but you could force 144p video. Youtube's audio quality associated with these ultra low quality video rates used to be abysmal but it's pretty good now.
How is this a helpful comment on a tech forum? What speed is your internet connection that video is such a problem?
Broaden your world view. HN is a worldwide community and internet is not universally good. Some people live in rural places as well, or on sail boats, or only have satellite internet, but they all love tech just the same.
I live in a first world country (Australia) with notoriously slow internet.