Thanks ContraB,

actually I only tried the player controls that turned up in my 'tray'. That is the right hand corner of my toolbar.

I play a lot of opera (from CD's and streaming sources)while I am on the computer and have no difficulty with sound, also I play Rise of Nations with good clarity.

I will search my system for ALL players and, if more than one, will see what differences there are.

One other thing, being new to Limewire I have not yet learned my way around it - I noted this a.m. when I thought I would check to: a) play some of the poor selections over again, and b) to see if the slower downloads had completed, NOTHING was showing at all on the opening page. Not the ones that had 'completed' or the ones that were uncomplete. Does this mean that I have lost them?