diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundManager.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eb3a30255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundManager.java
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+//
+// $Id: SoundManager.java,v 1.1 2002/07/24 21:28:09 shaper Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InputStream;
+
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioFormat;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioInputStream;
+import javax.sound.sampled.AudioSystem;
+import javax.sound.sampled.Clip;
+import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine.Info;
+import javax.sound.sampled.DataLine;
+import javax.sound.sampled.Line;
+import javax.sound.sampled.LineEvent;
+import javax.sound.sampled.LineListener;
+import javax.sound.sampled.LineUnavailableException;
+import javax.sound.sampled.Mixer;
+
+import com.samskivert.util.Queue;
+
+import com.threerings.resource.ResourceManager;
+
+import com.threerings.media.Log;
+
+/**
+ * Manages the playing of audio files.
+ */
+public class SoundManager
+    implements LineListener
+{
+    /**
+     * Constructs a sound manager.
+     */
+    public SoundManager (ResourceManager rmgr)
+    {
+        // save things off
+        _rmgr = rmgr;
+
+        // obtain the mixer
+        _mixer = AudioSystem.getMixer(null);
+        if (_mixer == null) {
+            Log.warning("Can't get default mixer, aborting audio " +
+                        "initialization.");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // create a thread to manage the sound queue
+        _player = new Thread() {
+            public void run () {
+                while (true) {
+                    // wait for a sound
+                    _clips.waitForItem();
+
+                    // play the sound
+                    playSound((String)_clips.get());
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        _player.setDaemon(true);
+        _player.start();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Queues up the sound file with the given pathname to be played when
+     * the sound manager deems the time appropriate.
+     */
+    public void play (String path)
+    {
+        Log.debug("Queueing sound [path=" + path + "].");
+        _clips.append(path);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Plays the sound file with the given pathname.
+     */
+    protected void playSound (String path)
+    {
+        Log.debug("Playing sound [path=" + path + "].");
+
+        // get the resource input stream
+        InputStream in = null;
+        try {
+            in = _rmgr.getResource(path);
+        } catch (IOException ioe) {
+            Log.warning("Failed to obtain resource input stream " +
+                        "[path=" + path + ", ioe=" + ioe + "].");
+            return;
+        }
+        
+        try {
+            // get the audio input stream and format
+            AudioInputStream ais = AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(in);
+            // ais = getPCMAudioStream(ais);
+            AudioFormat format = ais.getFormat();
+            Log.debug("Obtained stream [format=" + format + "].");
+
+            // get the audio output line
+            Clip clip = (Clip)getLine(Clip.class, ais);
+            if (clip != null) {
+                // listen to our audio antics
+                clip.addLineListener(this);
+
+                // and start the clip playing
+                clip.open(ais);
+                clip.start();
+            }
+
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.warning("Failed to play sound [path=" + path +
+                        ", e=" + e + "].");
+            Log.logStackTrace(e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // documentation inherited
+    public void update (LineEvent event)
+    {
+        // Log.info("LineListener update [event=" + event + "].");
+        Clip clip = (Clip)event.getLine();
+        if (event.getType() == LineEvent.Type.STOP) {
+            // shut the clip down
+//             clip.stop();
+//             clip.close();
+
+            Log.debug("Finished playing sound [clip=" + clip + "].");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns an audio stream from the given audio stream with the sound
+     * data converted to a <code>PCM_SIGNED</code> format playable in JDK
+     * 1.4-beta3.
+     */
+    protected AudioInputStream getPCMAudioStream (AudioInputStream ais)
+    {
+        AudioFormat format = ais.getFormat();
+        AudioFormat pcmFormat = new AudioFormat(
+            AudioFormat.Encoding.PCM_SIGNED,
+            format.getSampleRate(),
+            format.getSampleSizeInBits() * 2,
+            format.getChannels(),
+            format.getFrameSize() * 2,
+            format.getFrameRate(),
+            true);
+        return AudioSystem.getAudioInputStream(pcmFormat, ais);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a line suitable for playing the audio in the given stream,
+     * or <code>null</code> if an error occurred.
+     */
+    protected Line getLine (Class clazz, AudioInputStream ais)
+    {
+        AudioFormat format = ais.getFormat();
+        int bufferSize = (int)(ais.getFrameLength() * format.getFrameSize());
+        DataLine.Info info = new DataLine.Info(clazz, format, bufferSize);
+        if (!AudioSystem.isLineSupported(info)) {
+            Log.warning("Audio line for clip playback not supported " +
+                        "[format=" + format + "].");
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        // Log.info("Checking available lines " +
+        // "[num=" + _mixer.getMaxLines(info) + "].");
+
+        // obtain a reference to the line
+        Line line;
+        try {
+            line = AudioSystem.getLine(info);
+            // line.open(format);
+        } catch (LineUnavailableException lue) {
+            Log.warning("Failed to open audio line [lue=" + lue + "].");
+            return null;
+        }
+        return line;
+    }
+
+    /** The resource manager from which we obtain audio files. */
+    protected ResourceManager _rmgr;
+
+    /** The thread that plays sounds. */
+    protected Thread _player;
+
+    /** The queue of sound clips to be played. */
+    protected Queue _clips = new Queue();
+
+    /** The default mixer. */
+    protected Mixer _mixer;
+}
diff --git a/tests/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundTestApp.java b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundTestApp.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f7419178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/src/java/com/threerings/media/sound/SoundTestApp.java
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//
+// $Id: SoundTestApp.java,v 1.1 2002/07/24 21:28:10 shaper Exp $
+
+package com.threerings.media;
+
+import com.samskivert.util.StringUtil;
+import com.threerings.resource.ResourceManager;
+import com.threerings.media.Log;
+
+public class SoundTestApp
+{
+    public SoundTestApp (String[] args)
+    {
+        if (args.length == 0) {
+            Log.info("Usage: runjava com.threerings.media.SoundTestApp " +
+                     "<file1> [<file2> <file3> ...]");
+            System.exit(0);
+        }
+
+        ResourceManager rmgr = new ResourceManager("rsrc");
+        _soundmgr = new SoundManager(rmgr);
+        _files = args;
+    }
+
+    public void run ()
+    {
+        for (int ii = 0; ii < _files.length; ii++) {
+            _soundmgr.play(_files[ii]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static void main (String[] args)
+    {
+        SoundTestApp app = new SoundTestApp(args);
+        app.run();
+    }
+
+    protected String[] _files;
+    protected SoundManager _soundmgr;
+}