Same bug here on a 16.04, agw3's workaround doesn't fix the issue for me. It occurs when my browser (firefox 53.0.2 64b) display a google research with google translate content.
The way I fix it is: pulseaudio -k && sudo alsa force-reload It's a bit annoying, I would like to fix it permanently. -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to pulseaudio in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/997331 Title: Some alsa applications play bad sound Status in pulseaudio package in Ubuntu: Incomplete Bug description: Some applications using ALSA plays bad sound. One is WINE applications. Winecfg test sound is distorted (sounds awful). Spotify running WINE plays songs way too fast. A flash based program play distorted sound. The common thing for all of them is that under Applications in Sound settings it says alsa-plugin and it flashes very rapidly between "No application is currently playing" and alsa-plugin. It almost looks like flickering. I've testet a normal wave file using aplay and that was okey, no problems. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04 Package: alsa-base 1.0.25+dfsg-0ubuntu1 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-24.37-generic 3.2.14 Uname: Linux 3.2.0-24-generic x86_64 NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia AlsaVersion: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture Driver Version 1.0.24. ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu7 Architecture: amd64 AudioDevicesInUse: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC2: oeriksen 3299 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC0: oeriksen 3299 F.... pulseaudio /dev/snd/controlC1: oeriksen 3299 F.... pulseaudio Card0.Amixer.info: Card hw:0 'PCH'/'HDA Intel PCH at 0xfa400000 irq 60' Mixer name : 'Realtek ALC892' Components : 'HDA:10ec0892,10438410,00100302' Controls : 41 Simple ctrls : 20 Card1.Amixer.info: Card hw:1 'Socialize'/'Creative Labs VF0640 Live! Cam Socialize at usb-0000:00:1d.0-1.4, high speed' Mixer name : 'USB Mixer' Components : 'USB041e:4083' Controls : 2 Simple ctrls : 1 Card1.Amixer.values: Simple mixer control 'Mic',0 Capabilities: cvolume cvolume-joined cswitch cswitch-joined penum Capture channels: Mono Limits: Capture 0 - 48 Mono: Capture 45 [94%] [18.00dB] [on] Card2.Amixer.info: Card hw:2 'NVidia'/'HDA NVidia at 0xfa080000 irq 17' Mixer name : 'Nvidia GPU 16 HDMI/DP' Components : 'HDA:10de0016,10de0101,00100100' Controls : 24 Simple ctrls : 4 Date: Wed May 9 22:41:04 2012 PackageArchitecture: all SourcePackage: alsa-driver Symptom: audio Symptom_AlsaPlaybackTest: ALSA playback test through plughw:PCH successful Symptom_Card: Built-in Audio - HDA Intel PCH Symptom_Jack: Green Line Out, Rear Symptom_PulsePlaybackTest: PulseAudio playback test successful Symptom_Type: None of the above Title: [System Product Name, Realtek ALC892, Green Line Out, Rear] Playback problem UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-03-02 (68 days ago) dmi.bios.date: 02/16/2012 dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc. dmi.bios.version: 2302 dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M. dmi.board.name: P8P67 REV 3.1 dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. dmi.board.version: Rev 1.xx dmi.chassis.asset.tag: Asset-1234567890 dmi.chassis.type: 3 dmi.chassis.vendor: Chassis Manufacture dmi.chassis.version: Chassis Version dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvr2302:bd02/16/2012:svnSystemmanufacturer:pnSystemProductName:pvrSystemVersion:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnP8P67REV3.1:rvrRev1.xx:cvnChassisManufacture:ct3:cvrChassisVersion: dmi.product.name: System Product Name dmi.product.version: System Version dmi.sys.vendor: System manufacturer To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/997331/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp