Audio popping issue

[Timidity]

While this isn't solid confirmation, I have been fairly confident that this new "feature" has been at the root of the problems. I really don't want to have to buy some software just to play the game with sound on again. :<

I definitely agree, the sound engine must have gone through change in order to support the spatial audio sound through a plugin. For me personally it has remedied the issues prior to 6.01 (on launch), however only switching to dx9 afterwards was something that completely annihilated the issues, BUT game looks awful with those graphics not gonna lie.