OK, after playing with it a little more I've discovered that it is not starting google chrome that does this, but playing an embedded video (on youtube, several but not tried any other site).
Here are the outputs of both commands before and after. Before starting the browser. james@middenface:~$ sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/* [sudo] password for james: USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC0: james 2169 F.... pulseaudio james@middenface:~$ pactl stat Currently in use: 1 blocks containing 64.0 KiB bytes total. Allocated during whole lifetime: 99 blocks containing 5.6 MiB bytes total. Sample cache size: 0 B User name: james Host Name: middenface Server Name: pulseaudio Server Version: 0.9.21-63-gd3efa-dirty Default Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz Default Channel Map: front-left,front-right Default Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1b.0.iec958-stereo Default Source: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo Cookie: 729f0954 After starting the browser but before playing a video. james@middenface:~$ sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/* USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC0: james 2169 F.... pulseaudio james@middenface:~$ pactl stat Currently in use: 1 blocks containing 64.0 KiB bytes total. Allocated during whole lifetime: 8819 blocks containing 20.7 MiB bytes total. Sample cache size: 0 B User name: james Host Name: middenface Server Name: pulseaudio Server Version: 0.9.21-63-gd3efa-dirty Default Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz Default Channel Map: front-left,front-right Default Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo Default Source: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo Cookie: 729f0954 And after the video is run. james@middenface:~$ sudo fuser -v /dev/snd/* USER PID ACCESS COMMAND /dev/snd/controlC0: james 2169 F.... pulseaudio james@middenface:~$ pactl stat Currently in use: 1 blocks containing 64.0 KiB bytes total. Allocated during whole lifetime: 53191 blocks containing 111.2 MiB bytes total. Sample cache size: 0 B User name: james Host Name: middenface Server Name: pulseaudio Server Version: 0.9.21-63-gd3efa-dirty Default Sample Specification: s16le 2ch 44100Hz Default Channel Map: front-left,front-right Default Sink: alsa_output.pci-0000_01_00.1.hdmi-stereo Default Source: alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1b.0.analog-stereo Cookie: 729f0954 -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/802289 Title: Sound Stops when Chrome launches, but works in chrome To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/802289/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs