Hi Gadget,
Your computer specs look more than capable of handling what you are running.
I think you’ve found the cause of your problems. The recorded phrase “This papaya tastes perfect” should sound exactly the way you say it. I searched the internet and couldn’t find anything related to the increased playback speed, but I did find a couple of things that may help.
First, run DirectX Diagnostic Tool, click on “Start” and select “Run”. Then type in “dxdiag” and press <Enter>. Click on the “DirectX Files” tab and see if there are any errors. Then click on the “Sound” tab and slide the Hardware Sound Acceleration Level to “Basic acceleration” and run through the “Test DirectSound”.
Make sure you have the latest sound card drivers and they are installed correctly. Use this
link for more troubleshooting information.
I don’t recommend shutting down Windows services or programs. I understand this is a debatable subject, so all I’ll say is I don’t recommend shutting down Windows services or programs.
You mentioned your soundcard being 3 years old, rather than replacing it, you could try a different headset. If you get a USB headset to use for VAC and TS then you release the extra work from your current soundcard. It’s like adding another sound card to your system to share the work load.
I hope this helps,