This is some info about my system

root@papimalo:/home/ckosloff# inxi -Fxz
System: Host: papimalo Kernel: 3.2.0-1-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit, gcc: 4.6.2)
Desktop: KDE 4.6.5 (Qt 4.7.4) Distro: Debian GNU/Linux wheezy/sid
Machine: System: Hewlett-Packard product: Pavilion dv8000 (EH747UA#ABA) version: F.54
Mobo: Hewlett-Packard model: 309B version: 49.63 Bios: Hewlett-Packard version: F.54 date: 02/08/2007
CPU: Single core AMD Turion 64 Mobile ML-37 (-UP-) cache: 1024 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3) bmips: 1595.15 clocked at 800.00 MHz
Graphics: Card: ATI Radeon XPRESS 200M 5955 (PCIE) bus-ID: 01:05.0
X.org: 1.11.3.901 drivers: ati,radeon (unloaded: vesa,fbdev) tty size: 94x29 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio: Card: ATI IXP SB400 AC'97 Audio Controller driver: snd_atiixp bus-ID: 00:14.5 Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.24
Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+ driver: 8139too ver: 0.9.28 port: a000 bus-ID: 06:06.0
IF: eth0 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Card-2: Broadcom BCM4318 [AirForce One 54g] 802.11g Wireless LAN Controller driver: b43-pci-bridge bus-ID: 06:02.0
IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 2640.5GB (9.6% used) 1: /dev/sda WDC_WD3200BEVE 320.1GB 40C
2: /dev/sdb WDC_WD3200BEVE 320.1GB 34C 3: /dev/sdc Desktop 2000.4GB 0C
Partition: ID: / size: 296G used: 28G (10%) fs: ext4 ID: swap-1 size: 2.15GB used: 0.01GB (1%) fs: swap
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 0.0C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info: Processes: 251 Uptime: 4:57 Memory: 1038.4/1883.7MB Runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.6.2 Client: Shell inxi: 1.7.30
root@papimalo:/home/ckosloff#

We recently experienced a massive upgrade in Wheezy, I got warnings that dbus would replace some old configurations which would be restored after restarting X. I restarted whole system but the chime that I was hearing on boot disappeared, other settings may have been altered, which I will deal with later.
In the meantime, how can I restore sound the way it was?

First, is your system using Pulseaudio?
Second, which Phonon backend is your system configured to use? This can be changed in System Settings > Multimedia > Phonon.

Thank you for fast answer, I appreciate it.
Indeed the dbus upgrade messed up the launching of some applications but I already fixed it, simply from the KDE GUI.
In my netbook I had to restore touchpad settings and in Multimedia I had to set back Notifications to the default audio setting: Internal Audio Analog Stereo.
I also had to install additional plugins for Phonon VLC, really don't know exactly which one did the trick.
In the Pavilion I mentioned earlier, I just did last step, reset Notifications to default.