Having disabled EMPEG_MIXER_SET_SAM, if you're listening to mp3s and press pause, is there any delay before it actually pauses? Maybe the ioctl mutes it so you don't hear it playing what's left in the buffer after you press pause. Even if there is a delay, I'm in favor of your change.

Good thinking, but the pause is actually immediate even when I fudge the SETSAM ioctl. At least for me. So I don't think that's why they did it...