[regression] amarok (phonon) + alsa + gnome: audio stops working 'randomly'

Binary package hint: amarok

Some weeks ago everything was working fine. Now I have some serious problems with sound. There are 2 different scenarios:

1) I select 'pulseaudio' as phonon back-end
    - Amarok works fine, NEVER stops playing and amarok audio works flawlessly...
    - Only a side effect: EVERY system sound (beeps, flash, other player) can't play any more, is just muted. Pulseaudio (I don't use it in my system, I have manually installed and configured ALSA) steals audio to the whole system

2) I select 'hda Intel (ALC889 Analog) as phonon back-end
    - Amarok works integrated to the whole system sounds (no conflicts) but...
    - After I push play/stop 3 or 4 times or when a new song begins... An error message appears (notification) saying the hda Intel (ALC889 Analog) back-end does not work anymore and it must use pulseaudio...
    - THEN amarok is muted, I have to quit (killall amarok, since its process stays alive) and run again, falling back to problem 1)

Please note until some week ago everything was working fine!!! I think I was always using HDA Analog backend and no problem occurred before... Recently I have updated alsa to 1.0.20, but also all the other packages have been updated... I have *NO CLUE*.

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System infos:
-----------------------------------
Linux gidan-notebook 2.6.28-13-generic #45-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 30 22:12:12 UTC 2009 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Qt: 4.5.1
KDE: 4.2.92 (KDE 4.2.92 (KDE 4.3 >= 20090617))
Amarok: 2.0-SVN-Neon
Alsa 1.0.20
------------------------------------
lspci -nn
00:00.0 Host bridge [0600]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 Memory Controller Hub [8086:2a00] (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation Mobile PM965/GM965/GL960 PCI Express Root Port [8086:2a01] (rev 03)
00:1a.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #4 [8086:2834] (rev 03)
00:1a.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #5 [8086:2835] (rev 03)
00:1a.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #2 [8086:283a] (rev 03)
00:1b.0 Audio device [0403]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) HD Audio Controller [8086:284b] (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 1 [8086:283f] (rev 03)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 2 [8086:2841] (rev 03)
00:1c.2 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 3 [8086:2843] (rev 03)
00:1c.3 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 4 [8086:2845] (rev 03)
00:1c.4 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) PCI Express Port 5 [8086:2847] (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #1 [8086:2830] (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #2 [8086:2831] (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB UHCI Controller #3 [8086:2832] (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller [0c03]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller #1 [8086:2836] (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge [0604]: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge [8086:2448] (rev f3)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge [0601]: Intel Corporation 82801HEM (ICH8M) LPC Interface Controller [8086:2815] (rev 03)
00:1f.1 IDE interface [0101]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) IDE Controller [8086:2850] (rev 03)
00:1f.2 SATA controller [0106]: Intel Corporation 82801HBM/HEM (ICH8M/ICH8M-E) SATA AHCI Controller [8086:2829] (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus [0c05]: Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) SMBus Controller [8086:283e] (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller [0300]: nVidia Corporation GeForce 9500M GS [10de:0405] (rev a1)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Attansic Technology Corp. L1e Gigabit Ethernet Adapter [1969:1026] (rev b0)
08:00.0 Network controller [0280]: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 4965 AG or AGN [Kedron] Network Connection [8086:4229] (rev 61)
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cat /dev/sndstat
Sound Driver:3.8.1a-980706 (ALSA v1.0.20 emulation code)
Kernel: Linux gidan-notebook 2.6.28-13-generic #45-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jun 30 22:12:12 UTC 2009 x86_64
Config options: 0

Installed drivers:
Type 10: ALSA emulation

Card config:
HDA Intel at 0xfc300000 irq 22

Audio devices:
0: ALC889 Analog (DUPLEX)

Synth devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Midi devices: NOT ENABLED IN CONFIG

Timers:
7: system timer

Mixers:
0: Realtek ALC889
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aplay -l
**** Lista di PLAYBACK dispositivi hardware ****
scheda 0: Intel [HDA Intel], dispositivo 0: ALC889 Analog [ALC889 Analog]
  Sottoperiferiche: 1/1
  Sottoperiferica #0: subdevice #0
scheda 0: Intel [HDA Intel], dispositivo 1: ALC889 Digital [ALC889 Digital]
  Sottoperiferiche: 1/1
  Sottoperiferica #0: subdevice #0