kevin> As an experiment, try using mpg123.
  kevin> ie: $ mpg123 <filename.mp3>

Good suggestion.

  kevin> and see what happens.

Same problem -- plays the MP3 at about eight times the
proper speed.

Even though the suggestion didn't fix anything, it's
still a good one, because it rules out xmmm or mpg123,
and likely any other MP3 player as being the source of
the problem.

BTW, Carl Parrish suggested possibly an
ownership/permissions problem. I think it's unlikely
that mode or ownership would cause a problem of this
sort, but FWIW, xmms is mode 775, owned by root/root.

I await another suggestion.

Thank you for your responses.

BTW, I subscribe in digest mode, so I'd appreciate it
if anyone responding it would also send it directly to
me in addition to the list. Thanks.

-- 
Lynn David Newton
Phoenix, AZ
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~lnewton