diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx-pcm.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx-pcm.c
index 661d65165190..739f6738c695 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx-pcm.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx-pcm.c
@@ -1298,7 +1298,6 @@ emu_pcm_probe(device_t dev)
 {
 	uintptr_t func, route;
 	const char *rt;
-	char buffer[255];
 
 	BUS_READ_IVAR(device_get_parent(dev), dev, EMU_VAR_FUNC, &func);
 
@@ -1328,8 +1327,7 @@ emu_pcm_probe(device_t dev)
 		break;
 	}
 
-	snprintf(buffer, 255, "EMU10Kx DSP %s PCM interface", rt);
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, buffer);
+	device_set_descf(dev, "EMU10Kx DSP %s PCM interface", rt);
 	return (0);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx.c
index 29366c3b61f3..6bbbfcc1df0e 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/emu10kx.c
@@ -2985,7 +2985,6 @@ emu_write_ivar(device_t bus __unused, device_t dev __unused,
 static int
 emu_pci_probe(device_t dev)
 {
-	struct sbuf *s;
 	unsigned int thiscard = 0;
 	uint16_t vendor;
 
@@ -2997,15 +2996,8 @@ emu_pci_probe(device_t dev)
 	if (thiscard == 0)
 		return (ENXIO);
 
-	s = sbuf_new(NULL, NULL, 4096, 0);
-	if (s == NULL)
-		return (ENOMEM);
-	sbuf_printf(s, "Creative %s [%s]", emu_cards[thiscard].desc, emu_cards[thiscard].SBcode);
-	sbuf_finish(s);
-
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, sbuf_data(s));
-
-	sbuf_delete(s);
+	device_set_descf(dev, "Creative %s [%s]",
+	    emu_cards[thiscard].desc, emu_cards[thiscard].SBcode);
 
 	return (BUS_PROBE_DEFAULT);
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdaa.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdaa.c
index 1831ae0c1f19..07f28e7229e8 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdaa.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdaa.c
@@ -6577,14 +6577,12 @@ static int
 hdaa_probe(device_t dev)
 {
 	const char *pdesc;
-	char buf[128];
 
 	if (hda_get_node_type(dev) != HDA_PARAM_FCT_GRP_TYPE_NODE_TYPE_AUDIO)
 		return (ENXIO);
 	pdesc = device_get_desc(device_get_parent(dev));
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%.*s Audio Function Group",
+	device_set_descf(dev, "%.*s Audio Function Group",
 	    (int)(strlen(pdesc) - 10), pdesc);
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, buf);
 	return (BUS_PROBE_DEFAULT);
 }
 
@@ -6939,7 +6937,6 @@ hdaa_pcm_probe(device_t dev)
 	struct hdaa_devinfo *devinfo = pdevinfo->devinfo;
 	const char *pdesc;
 	char chans1[8], chans2[8];
-	char buf[128];
 	int loc1, loc2, t1, t2;
 
 	if (pdevinfo->playas >= 0)
@@ -6984,7 +6981,7 @@ hdaa_pcm_probe(device_t dev)
 	if (pdevinfo->digital)
 		t1 = -2;
 	pdesc = device_get_desc(device_get_parent(dev));
-	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%.*s (%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s)",
+	device_set_descf(dev, "%.*s (%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s%s)",
 	    (int)(strlen(pdesc) - 21), pdesc,
 	    loc1 >= 0 ? HDA_LOCS[loc1] : "", loc1 >= 0 ? " " : "",
 	    (pdevinfo->digital == 0x7)?"HDMI/DP":
@@ -6994,7 +6991,6 @@ hdaa_pcm_probe(device_t dev)
 	    chans1[0] ? " " : "", chans1,
 	    chans2[0] ? "/" : "", chans2,
 	    t1 >= 0 ? " " : "", t1 >= 0 ? HDA_DEVS[t1] : "");
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, buf);
 	return (BUS_PROBE_SPECIFIC);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdac.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdac.c
index 2cf9239499af..1f06692ba36e 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdac.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdac.c
@@ -1101,10 +1101,8 @@ hdac_probe(device_t dev)
 		snprintf(desc, sizeof(desc), "Generic (0x%08x)", model);
 		result = BUS_PROBE_GENERIC;
 	}
-	if (result != ENXIO) {
-		strlcat(desc, " HDA Controller", sizeof(desc));
-		device_set_desc_copy(dev, desc);
-	}
+	if (result != ENXIO)
+		device_set_descf(dev, "%s HDA Controller", desc);
 
 	return (result);
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdacc.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdacc.c
index b551b4b37701..f815e39392d4 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdacc.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hda/hdacc.c
@@ -472,8 +472,7 @@ hdacc_probe(device_t dev)
 			    hdacc_codecs[i].name, hda_get_device_id(dev));
 	} else
 		snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "Generic (0x%04x)", id);
-	strlcat(buf, " HDA CODEC", sizeof(buf));
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, buf);
+	device_set_descf(dev, "%s HDA CODEC", buf);
 	return (BUS_PROBE_DEFAULT);
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hdspe-pcm.c b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hdspe-pcm.c
index b3daed4d9599..f2c65c80dabe 100644
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pci/hdspe-pcm.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pci/hdspe-pcm.c
@@ -694,15 +694,12 @@ hdspe_pcm_attach(device_t dev)
 {
 	char status[SND_STATUSLEN];
 	struct sc_pcminfo *scp;
-	char desc[64];
 	int i, err;
 
 	scp = device_get_ivars(dev);
 	scp->ih = &hdspe_pcm_intr;
 
-	bzero(desc, sizeof(desc));
-	snprintf(desc, sizeof(desc), "HDSPe AIO [%s]", scp->hc->descr);
-	device_set_desc_copy(dev, desc);
+	device_set_descf(dev, "HDSPe AIO [%s]", scp->hc->descr);
 
 	/*
 	 * We don't register interrupt handler with snd_setup_intr