diff --git a/share/man/man4/pcm.4 b/share/man/man4/pcm.4
--- a/share/man/man4/pcm.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/pcm.4
@@ -367,7 +367,6 @@
 Set to
 .Dq 0
 if no VCHANs are desired.
-Maximum value is 256.
 .It Va hw.snd.report_soft_formats
 Controls the internal format conversion if it is
 available transparently to the application software.
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
@@ -85,8 +85,7 @@
 		if (snd_unit < 0)
 			snd_unit = -1;
 		
-		if (snd_maxautovchans < 0 ||
-		    snd_maxautovchans > SND_MAXVCHANS)
+		if (snd_maxautovchans < 0)
 			snd_maxautovchans = 0;
 
 		if (chn_latency < CHN_LATENCY_MIN ||
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@
  * By design, limit possible channels for each direction.
  */
 #define SND_MAXHWCHAN		256
-#define SND_MAXVCHANS		SND_MAXHWCHAN
 
 #define SD_F_SIMPLEX		0x00000001
 #define SD_F_AUTOVCHAN		0x00000002
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/vchan.c
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 	int trigger;
 };
 
-int snd_maxautovchans = 16;
+int snd_maxautovchans = 256;
 
 static void *
 vchan_init(kobj_t obj, void *devinfo, struct snd_dbuf *b,
@@ -341,8 +341,6 @@
 	if (err == 0 && req->newptr != NULL && vchancount != cnt) {
 		if (cnt < 0)
 			cnt = 0;
-		if (cnt > SND_MAXVCHANS)
-			cnt = SND_MAXVCHANS;
 		err = vchan_setnew(d, direction, cnt);
 	}
 
@@ -934,7 +932,7 @@
 	if (!(d->flags & SD_F_AUTOVCHAN))
 		return (EINVAL);
 
-	if (newcnt < 0 || newcnt > SND_MAXVCHANS)
+	if (newcnt < 0)
 		return (E2BIG);
 
 	if (direction == PCMDIR_PLAY)
@@ -1062,8 +1060,6 @@
 	if (error == 0 && req->newptr != NULL) {
 		if (v < 0)
 			v = 0;
-		if (v > SND_MAXVCHANS)
-			v = SND_MAXVCHANS;
 		snd_maxautovchans = v;
 		for (i = 0; pcm_devclass != NULL &&
 		    i < devclass_get_maxunit(pcm_devclass); i++) {