BleepingComputer.com: Audio randomly distorting / jumping in volume

I am using Windows XP with a Pentium 4 i845GE chipset (if that helps)

Recently my sound has started doing one of two things at random intervals.

It will either all of a sudden as I am listening to something, degenerate into a thick mess of modulating distortion which goes away upon restart.

or

It will jump in volume 2 or 3 times louder than normal with a scratchy bassless distortion when I am using Winamp, and is usually fixed by closing and reopening Winamp.

I have tried:

Completely uninstalling and reinstalling Winamp.

3 different soundcards. (It stareted doing it while I was still using my on board Realtek AC97 card, then tried a Creative Soundblaster Audigy, it still did it, so I went and swapped it for another Audigy to be safe, still did it)

I have tried 2 different sets of speakers and a pair of headphones.

I have wiped all my audio devices and drivers, disabled the on board sound and done a fresh install with the Creative Soundblaster Audigy.

Still does it, I am at a complete loss.

Can anyone help me, PLEASE!

bump

having same problem.. both my laptops. thought it was soundcard on xp laptop but now its doing it on my windows 7 laptop too. this is for flash vids and mp3s/vids..