OpenAL Performance

You''re presenting a bad comparison. Namely, OpenAL is a cross-platform wrapper API aiming at ease of use, specializing on playback without any extra stuff added. The libraries you mentioned, on the other hand, focus primarily on versatility. In Windows, all of them rely on the presence of DirectSound drivers if possible. If you are worried that any of them has a less efficient wrapper system to encapsulate the DSound API, you''re probably worrying in vain. If you''re still worried, you can use DSound directly and make sure that everything is done as efficiently as possible. Other than that - use the one you think fits best for the purpose (eg if you want to sell your product, want your sound system to be simple and free, use OpenAL; if you want to play mod files, use fmod, etc.)

Never do anything that is a waste of time and be prepared to wage long tedious wars over this principle - Michael O''Connor