In the volume sliders, I have event sounds set to 0%, but whenever something like dolphin has an error or does something that would normally make a noise, that noise is at 100% volume. This seems to only happen for the first time, subsequent errors or things that cause event sounds seem to go back to the normal volume for a while. Reproducible: Always
What phonon backend do you use?
libphonon4, or whatevers default in opensuse
It's either GStreamer or VLC, you can see it in System Settings -> Multimedia -> Audio and Video -> Backend tab
phonon-vlc
Try switching to Gstreamer. In any case, this has nothing to do with plasma-pa. Reassigning.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 345651 ***
I don't think that's the same. One thing I changed was flatvolumes to false, so the main volume slider doesn't change. At the same time, the volume of the event sounds seems to go to 100% only for the first time. If I replicate what made the noise (like deleting a file in dolphin) immediately after, it goes back to something lower. Then if I wait a while (hours?) and do it again (without logging back in) it goes back to 100%.
Also if I manage to get the volume sliders open in the system tray open before the sound stops, the sound seems to have its own slider separate from the event sounds slider.
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=345651#c4 since vlc doesn't let us set the notification role, pulseaudio doesn't know it is a notification, which means it won't be affected by the notification volume but instead be a standalone stream with its own volume. there may be another issue with the knotifications framework forcing 100% volume, but that would be independent of the actual sound having a bogus volume, which it has because it is not a notification meaning pulseaudio can't force the notification volume on the stream. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 345651 ***