diff --git a/src/common/AudioQueue.hxx b/src/common/AudioQueue.hxx
index 5dd223489..a57b64ab6 100644
--- a/src/common/AudioQueue.hxx
+++ b/src/common/AudioQueue.hxx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include "StaggeredLogger.hxx"
 
 /**
-  This class implements a an audio queue that acts both like a ring buffer
+  This class implements an audio queue that acts both like a ring buffer
   and a pool of audio fragments. The TIA emulation core fills a fragment
   with samples and then returns it to the queue, receiving a new fragment
   in return. The sound driver removes fragments for playback from the
diff --git a/src/common/SoundNull.hxx b/src/common/SoundNull.hxx
index 5007bf49c..d5726d7c4 100644
--- a/src/common/SoundNull.hxx
+++ b/src/common/SoundNull.hxx
@@ -59,12 +59,6 @@ class SoundNull : public Sound
     */
     void open(shared_ptr<AudioQueue>, EmulationTiming*) override { }
 
-    /**
-      Should be called to close the sound device.  Once called the sound
-      device can be started again using the initialize method.
-    */
-    void close() override { }
-
     /**
       Sets the sound mute state; sound processing continues.  When turned
       off, sound volume is 0; when turned on, sound volume returns to
diff --git a/src/common/SoundSDL2.cxx b/src/common/SoundSDL2.cxx
index 9e07564e3..3bee69bcf 100644
--- a/src/common/SoundSDL2.cxx
+++ b/src/common/SoundSDL2.cxx
@@ -141,7 +141,6 @@ bool SoundSDL2::openDevice()
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void SoundSDL2::setEnabled(bool enable)
 {
-cerr << "setEnabled: " << enable << endl;
   mute(!enable);
   pause(!enable);
 }
@@ -164,7 +163,6 @@ void SoundSDL2::open(shared_ptr<AudioQueue> audioQueue,
 
   Logger::debug("SoundSDL2::open started ...");
 
-  myAudioSettings.setEnabled(true);
   audioQueue->ignoreOverflows(!myAudioSettings.enabled());
   if(!myAudioSettings.enabled())
   {
@@ -193,22 +191,9 @@ void SoundSDL2::open(shared_ptr<AudioQueue> audioQueue,
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-void SoundSDL2::close()
+void SoundSDL2::mute(bool enable)
 {
-  if(!myIsInitializedFlag)
-    return;
-
-  if(myAudioQueue)
-    myAudioQueue->closeSink(myCurrentFragment);
-  myAudioQueue.reset();
-  myCurrentFragment = nullptr;
-}
-
-// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-void SoundSDL2::mute(bool state)
-{
-  myAudioSettings.setEnabled(!state);
-  if(state)
+  if(enable)
     myVolumeFactor = 0;
   else
     setVolume(myAudioSettings.volume());
@@ -217,27 +202,29 @@ void SoundSDL2::mute(bool state)
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void SoundSDL2::toggleMute()
 {
-  const bool state = !myAudioSettings.enabled();
-  mute(!state);
+  const bool wasMuted = myVolumeFactor == 0;
+  mute(!wasMuted);
 
   string message = "Sound ";
-  message += state ? "unmuted" : "muted";
+  message += !myAudioSettings.enabled()
+    ? "disabled"
+    : (wasMuted ? "unmuted" : "muted");
 
   myOSystem.frameBuffer().showTextMessage(message);
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-bool SoundSDL2::pause(bool state)
+bool SoundSDL2::pause(bool enable)
 {
   ASSERT_MAIN_THREAD;
 
-  const bool oldstate = SDL_GetAudioDeviceStatus(myDevice) == SDL_AUDIO_PAUSED;
+  const bool wasPaused = SDL_GetAudioDeviceStatus(myDevice) == SDL_AUDIO_PAUSED;
   if(myIsInitializedFlag)
   {
-    SDL_PauseAudioDevice(myDevice, state ? 1 : 0);
-    myWavHandler.pause(state);
+    SDL_PauseAudioDevice(myDevice, enable ? 1 : 0);
+    myWavHandler.pause(enable);
   }
-  return oldstate;
+  return wasPaused;
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@@ -386,7 +373,7 @@ void SoundSDL2::callback(void* object, uInt8* stream, int len)
     const uInt32 length = len >> 2;
     self->myResampler->fillFragment(s, length);
 
-    for(uInt32 i = 0; i < length; ++i)  // TODO - perhaps move into Resampler
+    for(uInt32 i = 0; i < length; ++i)
       s[i] *= SoundSDL2::myVolumeFactor;
   }
   else
@@ -452,8 +439,9 @@ bool SoundSDL2::WavHandlerSDL2::play(
     myDevice = SDL_OpenAudioDevice(device, 0, &mySpec, nullptr, 0);
     if(!myDevice)
       return false;
+
     // Play audio
-    SDL_PauseAudioDevice(myDevice, 0);
+    pause(false);
   }
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/common/SoundSDL2.hxx b/src/common/SoundSDL2.hxx
index 016d1a612..d477dc88b 100644
--- a/src/common/SoundSDL2.hxx
+++ b/src/common/SoundSDL2.hxx
@@ -66,19 +66,13 @@ class SoundSDL2 : public Sound
               EmulationTiming* emulationTiming) override;
 
     /**
-      Should be called to close the sound device.  Once called the sound
-      device can be started again using the open method.
-    */
-    void close() override;
+      Sets the sound mute state; sound processing continues.  When enabled,
+      sound volume is 0; when disabled, sound volume returns to previously
+      set level.
 
-    /**
-      Sets the sound mute state; sound processing continues.  When turned
-      off, sound volume is 0; when turned on, sound volume returns to
-      previously set level.
-
-      @param state Mutes sound if true, unmute if false
+      @param enable  Mutes sound if true, unmute if false
     */
-    void mute(bool state) override;
+    void mute(bool enable) override;
 
     /**
       Toggles the sound mute state; sound processing continues.
@@ -91,11 +85,11 @@ class SoundSDL2 : public Sound
       neither played nor processed (ie, the sound subsystem is temporarily
       disabled).
 
-      @param state Pause sound if true, unpause if false
+      @param enable  Pause sound if true, unpause if false
 
       @return  The previous (old) pause state
     */
-    bool pause(bool state) override;
+    bool pause(bool enable) override;
 
     /**
       Sets the volume of the sound device to the specified level.  The
diff --git a/src/emucore/Console.cxx b/src/emucore/Console.cxx
index 95064c502..c19d20bdb 100644
--- a/src/emucore/Console.cxx
+++ b/src/emucore/Console.cxx
@@ -250,10 +250,12 @@ Console::~Console()
   myLeftControl->close();
   myRightControl->close();
 
-  // Close audio to prevent invalid access to myConsoleTiming from the audio
-  // callback
-  myOSystem.sound().close();
-  myOSystem.sound().stopWav();
+  // Close audio to prevent invalid access in the audio callback
+  if(myAudioQueue)
+  {
+    myAudioQueue->closeSink(nullptr);  // TODO: is this needed?
+    myAudioQueue.reset();
+  }
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@@ -335,12 +337,10 @@ void Console::redetectFrameLayout()
 {
   Serializer s;
 
-  myOSystem.sound().close();
   save(s);
-
   autodetectFrameLayout(false);
-
   load(s);
+
   initializeAudio();
 }
 
@@ -691,8 +691,6 @@ FBInitStatus Console::initializeVideo(bool full)
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
 void Console::initializeAudio()
 {
-  myOSystem.sound().close();
-
   myEmulationTiming
     .updatePlaybackRate(myAudioSettings.sampleRate())
     .updatePlaybackPeriod(myAudioSettings.fragmentSize())
diff --git a/src/emucore/OSystem.cxx b/src/emucore/OSystem.cxx
index 11ebdd3f0..ff182a041 100644
--- a/src/emucore/OSystem.cxx
+++ b/src/emucore/OSystem.cxx
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ bool OSystem::createLauncher(const string& startdir)
   closeConsole();
 
   if(mySound)
-    mySound->close();
+    mySound->pause(true);
 
   mySettings->setValue("tmpromdir", startdir);
   bool status = false;
diff --git a/src/emucore/Sound.hxx b/src/emucore/Sound.hxx
index 6e5543205..29ff70278 100644
--- a/src/emucore/Sound.hxx
+++ b/src/emucore/Sound.hxx
@@ -55,12 +55,6 @@ class Sound
     */
     virtual void open(shared_ptr<AudioQueue>, EmulationTiming*) = 0;
 
-    /**
-      Should be called to stop the sound system.  Once called the sound
-      device can be started again using the ::open() method.
-    */
-    virtual void close() = 0;
-
     /**
       Sets the sound mute state; sound processing continues.  When turned
       off, sound volume is 0; when turned on, sound volume returns to
diff --git a/src/os/libretro/SoundLIBRETRO.hxx b/src/os/libretro/SoundLIBRETRO.hxx
index aa20237f2..8c1485b3d 100644
--- a/src/os/libretro/SoundLIBRETRO.hxx
+++ b/src/os/libretro/SoundLIBRETRO.hxx
@@ -80,22 +80,6 @@ class SoundLIBRETRO : public Sound
       myIsInitializedFlag = true;
     }
 
-    /**
-      Should be called to close the sound device.  Once called the sound
-      device can be started again using the open method.
-    */
-    void close() override
-    {
-      if (!myIsInitializedFlag)
-        return;
-      if (myAudioQueue)
-        myAudioQueue->closeSink(myCurrentFragment);
-      myAudioQueue.reset();
-      myCurrentFragment = nullptr;
-
-      Logger::debug("SoundLIBRETRO::close");
-    }
-
     /**
       Empties the playback buffer.