Issue with older SBLive and DirectSound output

[Silent Warrior]

The problem:
Sometimes at the beginning of playing back a file (irrespective of format and exact file - happens with previously working MP3, OGG, Wavpack; though I can't recall it happening with MIDI) I get this weird noise. Not like radio static, more like what a graphic lock-up would look like if it were sound. (Put in words, I would describe the sound as a loud DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRN. No fun with headphones...) It doesn't occur mid-track, only at the start (0:00) of a new track. The "good" sound appears to still be playing in the background.
When this happens, it usually goes away when I change tracks. I may need to change through several tracks, but it normally goes away on the first change. I strongly suspect this is a case of not-playing-nice between Creative's driver and the DirectSound output plug-in (can't test this, since DS-output is my only option at the time of writing), as this does NOT happen on a computer using, well, other hardware altogether, but also on the same computer booting into Linux (SolusOS 1, latest updates, kernel 3.5.7/3.5.4, using Audacious and ALSA drivers through PulseAudio).
I think it only happens in Winamp, but as I neither play many games on the affected hardware (though I played straight through Machinarium and some Blackwell Chronicles games without the slightest snag) or use other media players, I can't say I'm 100% sure. There's an ever so slight possibility this exact same issue affected Final Fantasy 8 PC, but I was using another card then, but from the same product family. It was a few years ago, I don't remember it all that clearly - could be a red herring.

Specs:
ASUS M2N-E
Athlon X2 4200+
Creative SBLive! Value, driver: 5.12.2.252 [Signed], dated 2002
Nvidia/Sapphire GeForce 9600 GT 512 Mb
DirectX version 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904) [Sound acceleration turned down one notch to Standard acceleration.]
Installation type: Bundle

Nunz's plug-in dump:
-----------------
Installed Winamp plug-in list
Generated by 'One for Nunz v5.1' on 2012-10-31 at 09:46:21

<< Winamp Information >>

Winamp.ini path is: G:\Documents and Settings\Arve\Application Data\Winamp\Winamp.ini
Plug-in directory is: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins
Visualisation directory is: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins
DSP directory is: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins
Skin directory is: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Skins
Language Pack directory is: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Lang

Using Winamp version: 5.63 (Build 3235 FINAL_2012_0628_151026)

Current skin: ClearGnome.wsz (Classic skin)
Sonic Burning Engine is not installed

Using a language pack: G:\Program Files\Winamp\Lang\Winamp-SV-SE.wlz
Intended localisation language: sv-SE


<< OS Information >>

Running on: Windows XP (Service Pack 3)
Memory available: 3.00 GB


<< Input plug-ins >>

Monkey's Audio Player v3.97 [in_APE.dll]
Nullsoft AVI Demuxer v0.7 [in_avi.dll]
Nullsoft CD-Plugin (MusicID 2.6) v3.92 [in_cdda.dll]
Nullsoft DirectShow Decoder v1.08 [in_dshow.dll]
Nullsoft FLAC Decoder v2.6 [in_flac.dll]
Nullsoft MIDI Player v3.5 [in_midi.dll]
Nullsoft Matroska Demuxer v0.7 [in_mkv.dll]
Nullsoft Module Decoder v2.90 [in_mod.dll]
Nullsoft MPEG Audio Decoder v4.98 [in_mp3.dll]
Nullsoft MPEG-4 Audio Decoder v2.5 [in_mp4.dll]
NotSo Fatso - NSF/NSFe Player - v0.851 [in_NotSoFatso.dll]
Nullsoft NSV Decoder v1.7 [in_nsv.dll]
Highly Experimental PSF1/PSF2 Player v2.09 [in_psf.dll]
Alpha-II SPC Player v3.2 (x86) [in_snes.dll]
Nullsoft Flash Control Playback v1.1 [in_swf.dll]
64th Note v1.2 beta 3 Mar 31 2007 [in_usf.dll]
VGM input plugin v0.30 [in_vgm.dll]
Nullsoft Vorbis Decoder v1.6 [in_vorbis.dll]
Nullsoft Waveform Wrapper v1.2 [in_wav.dll]
Nullsoft Waveform Decoder v3.19 [in_wave.dll]
Nullsoft Windows Media Decoder v3.6 [in_wm.dll]
WavPack Decoder 2.8a [in_wv.dll]

<< Output plug-ins >>

Nullsoft DirectSound Output v2.6 (d) [out_ds.dll] [active]
Wumpus OpenAL Output v1.0.0 (x86) [out_openal.dll]

<< Visualisation plug-ins >>

No plug-ins of this type are installed

<< DSP plug-ins >>

No plug-ins of this type are installed

<< General Purpose plug-ins >>

Album Art v0.7 [gen_classicart.dll]
ArtfulBits CUE Navigator v0.6 [gen_CUENavigator.dll]
Stöd för moderna skal från Nullsoft v1.42 [gen_ff.dll]
Find File On Disk v3.0.2 [gen_find_on_disk.dll]
Nullsoft Global Hotkeys v1.91 [gen_hotkeys.dll]
Hoppa Till Fil Extra v1.2.5 (Build 1160) [gen_jumpex.dll]
Nullsoft Media Library v3.61 [gen_ml.dll]
Lite'n Winamp Preferences v1.6.1 [gen_nopro.dll]
One for Nunz v5.1 [gen_nunzio.dll]
Skin Manager v1.0 [gen_skinmanager.dll]
Time Restore & AutoPlay v2.5.2 [gen_timerestore.dll]
Nullsoft Tray Control v2.41 [gen_tray.dll]
Ruzzz Tray Rating v0.1 [gen_trayrate.dll]
Playlist Undo v1.0.2 [gen_undo.dll]

<< Media Library plug-ins >>

Nullsoft Now Playing [ml_nowplaying.dll]
Nullsoft Local Media v3.04 [ml_local.dll]
Nullsoft Playlists v1.21 [ml_playlists.dll]
Nullsoft Winamp Add-ons v1.1 [ml_addons.dll]
Nullsoft Podcasts v1.29 [ml_wire.dll]
Nullsoft Device Manager v1.0 [ml_devices.dll]
Nullsoft Rip & Burn v1.93 [ml_disc.dll]
Stöd för Nullsofts musikspelare v1.32 [ml_pmp.dll]
Nullsoft Bookmarks v1.21 [ml_bookmarks.dll]
Nullsoft History v1.91 [ml_history.dll]
Nullsoft Downloads v1.02 [ml_downloads.dll]
ML Enqueue and Play v2.0 [ml_enqplay.dll]
Nullsoft Database Import/Export v2.4 [ml_impex.dll]
Nullsoft Playlist Generator v1.7 [ml_plg.dll]

<< Portable Media Player plug-ins >>

Nullsoft USB Device Plug-in v1.5 [pmp_usb.dll]

<< Encoder plug-ins >>

[enc_fhgaac.dll]
MPEG-4 AAC Encoder v1.04
SHOUTcast MPEG-2 ADTS-AAC Encoder v1.04
[enc_flac.dll]
FLAC Encoder v2.3 (libFLAC v1.2.1)
[enc_vorbis.dll]
Ogg Vorbis Encoder v1.5 (aoTuV b6.03)
[enc_wav.dll]
WAV Encoder v1.02a

<< Summary of system components (*.w5s) >>
(These are not included in the plug-in counts below)
a52.w5s (113kb)
aacdec.w5s (900kb)
adpcm.w5s (15kb)
alac.w5s (20kb)
albumart.w5s (23kb)
auth.w5s (170kb)
bmp.w5s (19kb)
ClassicPro.w5s (126kb)
devices.w5s (43kb)
dlmgr.w5s (16kb)
f263.w5s (50kb)
filereader.w5s (14kb)
gif.w5s (19kb)
gracenote.w5s (16kb)
h264.w5s (641kb)
jnetlib.w5s (609kb)
jpeg.w5s (151kb)
mp4v.w5s (197kb)
ombrowser.w5s (294kb)
pcm.w5s (12kb)
playlist.w5s (82kb)
png.w5s (85kb)
primo.w5s (13kb)
tagz.w5s (21kb)
theora.w5s (52kb)
timer.w5s (34kb)
vlb.w5s (121kb)
vp6.w5s (177kb)
vp8.w5s (229kb)
xml.w5s (89kb)

<< Summary of all dlls in the root winamp folder (*.dll) >>
(These are not included in the plug-in counts below)
burnlib.dll (81kb) [not loaded]
libFLAC.dll (133kb) [loaded]
libmp4v2.dll (176kb) [not loaded]
libsndfile.dll (247kb) [loaded]
nde.dll (77kb) [loaded]
nsutil.dll (407kb) [loaded]
tataki.dll (82kb) [loaded]
zlib.dll (63kb) [loaded]

<< Summary of all dlls in the plugins\gracenote folder (*.dll) >>
(These are not included in the plug-in counts below)
CDDBControlWinamp.dll (1577kb) [not loaded]
CddbMusicIDWinamp.dll (905kb) [not loaded]
CddbPlaylist2Winamp.dll (1101kb) [not loaded]
CDDBUIWinamp.dll (1017kb) [not loaded]

<< Summary of installed plug-ins >>

22 Input plug-ins installed
2 Output plug-ins installed
0 Visualisation plug-in installed
0 DSP plug-in installed
14 General Purpose plug-ins installed
14 Media Library plug-ins installed
1 Portable Media Player plug-in installed
4 Encoder plug-ins installed

Total: 57 plug-ins installed
-----------

[ujay]

You could install the out_wave.dll plugin and try that instead of out_ds.dll.

Re-install Winamp over the top of your present one (no need to uninstall) and select Wave Output in the installer.

UJ

[Silent Warrior]

It is done. I'll report back if there are any further problems.