With ESS 1869, "play /usr/share/sndconfig/sample.au" makes Linus Torvalds sound like Donald Duck on speed. Specifying "esstype=1869" has been tried, without success. "esdplay" and "xmms" work fine.
OK, the possible values you can set it to are: 688,1688,1868,1869,1788,1878,1879,1887,1888 - do any of these work?
Assigned to dledford
Doesn't happen on my 1869 with current rawhide.