CentOS 6.7 update sound problems: KDE4 + pulseaudio

[ehildum]

I just updated from CentOS 6.6 -> 6.7 (x86_64) via yum update.

Hardware is an Intel i7 motherboard + PNY Nvidia Quadro 2000D

Sound output is HDMI from Nvidia card

I run KDE4, but Gnome is also installed.

After upgrade, system notifications no longer work, though rythmbox plays music, youtube has sound.
KMix shows all outputs are unmuted.
At startup, there is no longer a login notification sound; on shutdown there is no logout sound.
The system settings application, Notifications tab, KDE System Notifications shows various sound files enabled for notifications, but there is no sound when they are played. Sometimes the system settings application crashes and the bug reporting window shows a workspace abort on a signal.

Running the Gnome mixer applet always works: Gnome notifications can always be played. After running gnome-volume-control, the systems settings application succeeds, the multimedia tab shows a bunch of new sound devices, and the notifications tab will play notification sound files. System notifications, however, still don't play outside the system settings app.

Web searching for solutions suggest running pavucontrol, but it doesn't exist on C6.7.
Running alsamixer sometimes shows the mixer and sometimes fails with error: ALSA lib pulse.c:229:(pulse_connect) PulseAudio: Unable to connect: Connection refused

Any ideas?
Thanks

[gerald_clark]

pavucontrol is available from nux-dextop.

[ehildum]

OK, I'll give it a try. Thanks