re quadra sound the quadra goes thru extensive initalize routines of its hardware read s pram obtains all info from last session including the volume setting and then executes the sound procedure for the startup sound and wait s on the scsi controller to respond to the boot up code if the dram produces an error or a registers cannot be read from a device or the device corrupts that address data or control paths then if it is possible the firmware branchs to another sound routine that produces the sad mac sound this is a general breifing of the start up procedure of a typical mac if you cannot control the volume of the quadra even at boot up then i feel there is something incorrect with the logic board my quadra does not show the problems you are having steve h
