An accidental look into /etc/pluggerrc brought an explanation why
plugger is sometimes numb.  One can see in this file the following:

audio/basic: au,snd: Basic audio file
audio/x-basic: au,snd: Basic audio file
        loop: xanim -Zr +W$window +q +f $file
        many: xanim -Zr +W$window +q +f +Ze $file
 
and 'xanim' does not seem to be very musical even if installed. :-)
Replacing this stanza with

audio/basic: au,snd: Basic audio file
audio/x-basic: au,snd: Basic audio file
        exits : play $file

appears to do the trick.  BTW - I cannot find a format of pluggerrc
anywhere (without studying sources) but this "exits : play $file" seem
to be a good idea on the next entry for 'wav' files as well.  With it
a file is played once instead of continuously in a loop.

The same 'plugger' version is in RH 7 and it is affected in the same
manner.

   Michal
   michal