Binary package hint: mpg123
Relevent Information: Ubuntu 9.10, mpg123 1.7.3
After the upgrade to 9.10, I tried using mpg123 to play back MP3 audio files. When I did this, mpg123 would not output a steady output stream, instead "skipping" a la an old CD player. Sometimes, the entire program would become unresponsive, forcing a killall to quit. I tried reverting back to a previous version of mpg123, however the problem was still present.
The odd thing is, is that this problem is not present in any other audio application, including mpg321. This problem also does not manifest if you preview the audio file in nautilus - odd, because nautilus should still be using mpg123 as the audio preview backend. There is also no skipping if the .wav output option is selected.
In light of all this, I am unsure as to whether this problem is an mpg123 problem, or an audio backend (pulse, alsa, etc.) problem.
I seem to have found the source of the problem.
At one point when using mpg321 instead of mpg123, I got an ALSA underrun error, prompting me to search for solutions relating to alsa underruns with mpg123. One solution was to use the plughw device (-a plughw), which worked. I've made this permanent by adding a single line to my .asoundrc file:
pcm.!default "plughw:0,0"
Hopefully, this solution will come in handy for other people who encounter the same problem.