[PATCH] libao ALSA driver could have a problem with some sound cards
From Takashi Iwai, from ALSA fame: "There are devices that have only a small number of periods (aka fragments) for a buffer, typically just two periods. So, if you set the buffer size first, you limit the minimum period size to the half of the given buffer size. This would result in a large latency.
OTOH, if you first set the period size, it limits the max buffer size. So, the latency is assured.
Thus, it's a question whether you want a smaller latency or a better stability. In the case of libao, the latency is more important."
This patch (or an equivalent, the source has change over years) has been in openSUSE since 2005 (yeah, sorry) without any complains, so it should be well tested.