diff --git a/neo/framework/Common.cpp b/neo/framework/Common.cpp
index 37648c907..7b172bc5f 100644
--- a/neo/framework/Common.cpp
+++ b/neo/framework/Common.cpp
@@ -83,12 +83,8 @@ idCVar com_purgeAll( "com_purgeAll", "0", CVAR_BOOL | CVAR_ARCHIVE | CVAR_SYSTEM
 idCVar com_memoryMarker( "com_memoryMarker", "-1", CVAR_INTEGER | CVAR_SYSTEM | CVAR_INIT, "used as a marker for memory stats" );
 idCVar com_preciseTic( "com_preciseTic", "1", CVAR_BOOL|CVAR_SYSTEM, "run one game tick every async thread update" );
 idCVar com_asyncInput( "com_asyncInput", "0", CVAR_BOOL|CVAR_SYSTEM, "sample input from the async thread" );
-#define ASYNCSOUND_INFO "0: mix sound inline, 1: memory mapped async mix, 2: callback mixing, 3: write async mix"
-#if defined( __unix__ ) && !defined( MACOS_X )
-idCVar com_asyncSound( "com_asyncSound", "3", CVAR_INTEGER|CVAR_SYSTEM|CVAR_ROM, ASYNCSOUND_INFO );
-#else
-idCVar com_asyncSound( "com_asyncSound", "1", CVAR_INTEGER|CVAR_SYSTEM, ASYNCSOUND_INFO, 0, 1 );
-#endif
+#define ASYNCSOUND_INFO "0: mix sound inline, 1 or 3: async update every 16ms 2: async update about every 100ms (original behavior)"
+idCVar com_asyncSound( "com_asyncSound", "1", CVAR_INTEGER|CVAR_SYSTEM, ASYNCSOUND_INFO, 0, 3 );
 idCVar com_forceGenericSIMD( "com_forceGenericSIMD", "0", CVAR_BOOL | CVAR_SYSTEM | CVAR_NOCHEAT, "force generic platform independent SIMD" );
 idCVar com_developer( "developer", "0", CVAR_BOOL|CVAR_SYSTEM|CVAR_NOCHEAT, "developer mode" );
 idCVar com_allowConsole( "com_allowConsole", "0", CVAR_BOOL | CVAR_SYSTEM | CVAR_NOCHEAT, "allow toggling console with the tilde key" );
@@ -2506,11 +2502,14 @@ void idCommonLocal::SingleAsyncTic( void ) {
 
 	switch ( com_asyncSound.GetInteger() ) {
 		case 1:
-			soundSystem->AsyncUpdate( stat->milliseconds );
-			break;
 		case 3:
+			// DG: these are now used for the new default behavior of "update every async tic (every 16ms)"
 			soundSystem->AsyncUpdateWrite( stat->milliseconds );
 			break;
+		case 2:
+			// DG: use 2 for the old "update only 10x/second" behavior in case anyone likes that..
+			soundSystem->AsyncUpdate( stat->milliseconds );
+			break;
 	}
 
 	// we update com_ticNumber after all the background tasks
@@ -2754,6 +2753,9 @@ static unsigned int AsyncTimer(unsigned int interval, void *) {
 	// calculate the next interval to get as close to 60fps as possible
 	unsigned int now = SDL_GetTicks();
 	unsigned int tick = com_ticNumber * USERCMD_MSEC;
+	// FIXME: this is pretty broken and basically always returns 1 because now now is much bigger than tic
+	//        (probably com_tickNumber only starts incrementing a second after engine starts?)
+	//        only reason this works is common->Async() checking again before calling SingleAsyncTic()
 
 	if (now >= tick)
 		return 1;
diff --git a/neo/framework/Session.cpp b/neo/framework/Session.cpp
index 46c3fe36a..2902c48c9 100644
--- a/neo/framework/Session.cpp
+++ b/neo/framework/Session.cpp
@@ -2524,7 +2524,7 @@ extern bool CheckOpenALDeviceAndRecoverIfNeeded();
 void idSessionLocal::Frame() {
 
 	if ( com_asyncSound.GetInteger() == 0 ) {
-		soundSystem->AsyncUpdate( Sys_Milliseconds() );
+		soundSystem->AsyncUpdateWrite( Sys_Milliseconds() );
 	}
 
 	// DG: periodically check if sound device is still there and try to reset it if not
diff --git a/neo/sound/snd_system.cpp b/neo/sound/snd_system.cpp
index 792b03d52..d9a2848c4 100644
--- a/neo/sound/snd_system.cpp
+++ b/neo/sound/snd_system.cpp
@@ -695,7 +695,10 @@ int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncMix( int soundTime, float *mixBuffer ) {
 /*
 ===================
 idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdate
-called from async sound thread when com_asyncSound == 1 ( Windows )
+called from async sound thread when com_asyncSound == 2
+DG: using this for the "traditional" sound updates that
+    only happen about every 100ms (and lead to delays between 1 and 110ms between
+    starting a sound in gamecode and it being played), for people who like that..
 ===================
 */
 int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdate( int inTime ) {
@@ -772,9 +775,12 @@ int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdate( int inTime ) {
 /*
 ===================
 idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdateWrite
-sound output using a write API. all the scheduling based on time
-we mix MIXBUFFER_SAMPLES at a time, but we feed the audio device with smaller chunks (and more often)
-called by the sound thread when com_asyncSound is 3 ( Linux )
+DG: using this now for 60Hz sound updates
+called from async sound thread when com_asyncSound is 3 or 1
+also called from main thread if com_asyncSound == 0
+(those were the default values used in dhewm3 on unix-likes (except mac) or rest)
+with this, once every async tic new sounds are started and existing ones updated,
+instead of once every ~100ms.
 ===================
 */
 int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdateWrite( int inTime ) {
@@ -783,21 +789,7 @@ int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdateWrite( int inTime ) {
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-	unsigned int dwCurrentBlock = (unsigned int)( inTime * 44.1f / MIXBUFFER_SAMPLES );
-
-	if ( nextWriteBlock == 0xffffffff ) {
-		nextWriteBlock = dwCurrentBlock;
-	}
-
-	if ( dwCurrentBlock < nextWriteBlock ) {
-		return 0;
-	}
-
-	if ( nextWriteBlock != dwCurrentBlock ) {
-		Sys_Printf( "missed %d sound updates\n", dwCurrentBlock - nextWriteBlock );
-	}
-
-	int sampleTime = dwCurrentBlock * MIXBUFFER_SAMPLES;
+	int sampleTime = inTime * 44.1f;
 	int numSpeakers = s_numberOfSpeakers.GetInteger();
 
 	// enable audio hardware caching
@@ -811,8 +803,6 @@ int idSoundSystemLocal::AsyncUpdateWrite( int inTime ) {
 	// disable audio hardware caching (this updates ALL settings since last alcSuspendContext)
 	alcProcessContext( openalContext );
 
-	// only move to the next block if the write was successful
-	nextWriteBlock = dwCurrentBlock + 1;
 	CurrentSoundTime = sampleTime;
 
 	return Sys_Milliseconds() - inTime;
diff --git a/neo/sound/snd_world.cpp b/neo/sound/snd_world.cpp
index 079dd845d..b79317a69 100644
--- a/neo/sound/snd_world.cpp
+++ b/neo/sound/snd_world.cpp
@@ -1857,7 +1857,11 @@ void idSoundWorldLocal::AddChannelContribution( idSoundEmitterLocal *sound, idSo
 				chan->triggered = false;
 			}
 		}
-	} else {
+	}
+#if 1 // DG: I /think/ this was only relevant for the old sound backends?
+	// FIXME: completely remove else branch, but for testing leave it in under com_asyncSound 2
+	//        (which also does the old 92-100ms updates)
+	else if( com_asyncSound.GetInteger() == 2 ) {
 
 		if ( slowmoActive && !chan->disallowSlow ) {
 			idSlowChannel slow = sound->GetSlowChannel( chan );
@@ -1952,6 +1956,7 @@ void idSoundWorldLocal::AddChannelContribution( idSoundEmitterLocal *sound, idSo
 		}
 
 	}
+#endif // 1/0
 
 	soundSystemLocal.soundStats.activeSounds++;