Well, I got VLC and Amarok working. Can't get FF yet.

But the more important issue is that I no longer have control over the sound from my FN+F11 and F12 keys. I tried reassigning the keys in Keyboard and Gestures>Kmix, but it had no effect. Keyboard control of the sound is necessary.

"kcmshell4 keys", select kmix and either assign a particular device to affect or run kmix and setup the correct default device (although this should align to the phonon settings)

Fn+F11/12 does create some useful key, like "Xf86 Volume Up/Down", does it?

I apologize, but I am confused. "kcmshell4 keys" opens the window below.

http://uppix.com/f-Selection_01052c60d5f00150432.png

When I try to select any of the options and assign FN+F11/F12 (my volume up/down key combo), the keys are assigned, but they do not alter the volume when the combination is pressed.

This window does not have the ability to assign a device, though the window brought up by "kcmshell4 phonon" does. See picture below.

http://uppix.com/f-Selection_01152c60e3400150437.png

I have selected the first option.

ensure that kmix is running (no idea what the keys were previously bound to)
next in kmix, select settings/select master channel, ensure to pick the proper "Current Mixer" and set master to "Master"

That's btw. no requirement, eg. i bound my vol up/down keys to "amixer sset Master 5+" resp. "amixer sset Master 5-" (where the step width "5" depends on the range of your device, my counts [0-100]

Thanks. That does fix the keyboard controlling sound issue. But it's weird; usually when I press those key combos, the sound up/down make a sound indicating the sound level. Now, it just shows the visual changes and it changes the KDE Mixer Master Volume (can watch that as it happens), but no sound is made. The system sounds are working, as I get notification sounds. But I still can't get Firefox (or Skype) to work with sound.

In Skype, I can select the audio to match one that I know works in the Phonon settings (HDA Intel PCH ALC282 Analog), but no sound comes out.

I think I'm going to go back to PulseAudio. This whole sound process does not make logical sense to me. I would think that when you select the source in Phonon>Audio Playback, that source would apply for all of the types of playback available that you select (Notifications, Music, Video, etc.). But it doesn't. Also, KDE Mixer seems to change the mixer being used without me changing it directly. Adding to my confusion, there seem to be several places to modify sound preferences, instead of one consolidated area.

I appreciate your help.

I found this guide to Linux sound helpful (and comforting).

I ended up re-installing PulseAudio via Synaptic Package Manager. I selected a number of PulseAudio-related installations that looked like they were applicable. I also followed the Getting ALSA to work after suspend / hibernate guide (about 3/4 of the way down the page) to create a script that force reloads ALSA on wake from sleep. So far, it works.