diff --git a/dlls/dsound/dsound_main.c b/dlls/dsound/dsound_main.c
index 1f6dd263c9b..483d51b3ce6 100644
--- a/dlls/dsound/dsound_main.c
+++ b/dlls/dsound/dsound_main.c
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ WINE_DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(dsound);
 /* some stuff may get more responsive with lower values though... */
 #define DS_EMULDRIVER 0 /* some games (Quake 2, UT) refuse to accept
 				emulated dsound devices. set to 0 ! */
-#define DS_HEL_MARGIN 5 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments ahead to mix in new buffers
+#define DS_HEL_MARGIN 2 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments ahead to mix in new buffers
 			 * (keep this close or equal to DS_HEL_QUEUE for best results) */
-#define DS_HEL_QUEUE  5 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments ahead to queue to driver
+#define DS_HEL_QUEUE  2 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments ahead to queue to driver
 			 * (this will affect HEL sound reliability and latency) */
 
 #define DS_SND_QUEUE_MAX 10 /* max number of fragments to prebuffer */
diff --git a/dlls/dsound/dsound_private.h b/dlls/dsound/dsound_private.h
index ee2c9ec06b1..42437a2b37c 100644
--- a/dlls/dsound/dsound_private.h
+++ b/dlls/dsound/dsound_private.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define DS_TIME_DEL 10  /* Delay of multimedia timer callback, and duration of HEL fragment */
 
 #define DS_HEL_BUFLEN 0x8000 /* HEL: The buffer length of the emulated buffer */
-#define DS_HEL_FRAGS 0x40 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments in primary buffer
+#define DS_HEL_FRAGS 0x10 /* HEL only: number of waveOut fragments in primary buffer
 			 * (changing this won't help you) */
 
 /* direct sound hardware acceleration levels */