The larger the buffer is, the more time it takes to fillplay it by digitalthe audio data sent for playback. Large buffers increase the time required forbefore processingthe audionext buffer can inbe computerplayed, this delay is usually called '''latency'''. Every system has certain limitations - too small buffers involving negligible latencies cannot be smoothly processed by computer, so the reasonable size starts at about 32 samples. The processor load does not affect latency directly (it means, once you set certain buffer size, the latency is constant), but with very high processor loads the processing starts dropping out. Increasing buffer size or quitting other application helps to keep playback smooth.
