diff --git a/simgear/sound/sample_group.cxx b/simgear/sound/sample_group.cxx
index d3ee7fb7..8bd5eb9b 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/sample_group.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/sample_group.cxx
@@ -359,29 +359,15 @@ void SGSampleGroup::update_sample_config( SGSoundSample *sample ) {
     if ( sample->is_valid_source() ) {
         unsigned int source = sample->get_source();
 
-#if 1
         if ( _tied_to_listener && _smgr->has_changed() ) {
             alSourcefv( source, AL_POSITION, _smgr->get_position().data() );
             alSourcefv( source, AL_VELOCITY, _smgr->get_velocity().data() );
-#if 0
             alSourcefv( source, AL_DIRECTION, _smgr->get_direction().data() );
-#endif
         } else {
-float *pos = sample->get_position();
-if (isnan(pos[0]) || isnan(pos[1]) || isnan(pos[2])) printf("NaN detected in source position\n");
             alSourcefv( source, AL_POSITION, sample->get_position() );
-float *vel = sample->get_velocity();
-if (isnan(vel[0]) || isnan(vel[1]) || isnan(vel[2])) printf("NaN detected in source velocity\n");
             alSourcefv( source, AL_VELOCITY, sample->get_velocity() );
-#if 0
             alSourcefv( source, AL_DIRECTION, sample->get_orientation() );
-#endif
         }
-#else
-        alSourcefv( source, AL_POSITION, SGVec3f::zeros().data() );
-        alSourcefv( source, AL_DIRECTION, SGVec3f::zeros().data() );
-        alSourcefv( source, AL_VELOCITY, SGVec3f::zeros().data() );
-#endif
         testForALError("position and orientation");
 
         alSourcef( source, AL_PITCH, sample->get_pitch() );
@@ -389,11 +375,9 @@ if (isnan(vel[0]) || isnan(vel[1]) || isnan(vel[2])) printf("NaN detected in sou
         testForALError("pitch and gain");
 
         if ( sample->has_static_data_changed() ) {
-#if 0
             alSourcef( source, AL_CONE_INNER_ANGLE, sample->get_innerangle() );
             alSourcef( source, AL_CONE_OUTER_ANGLE, sample->get_outerangle() );
             alSourcef( source, AL_CONE_OUTER_GAIN, sample->get_outergain() );
-#endif
             testForALError("audio cone");
 
             alSourcef( source, AL_MAX_DISTANCE, sample->get_max_dist() );
diff --git a/simgear/sound/sample_openal.cxx b/simgear/sound/sample_openal.cxx
index 307b2385..451ece25 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/sample_openal.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/sample_openal.cxx
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ SGSoundSample::SGSoundSample() :
     _velocity(SGVec3d::zeros()),
     _orientation(SGQuatd::zeros()),
     _orivec(SGVec3f::zeros()),
-    _base_pos(SGGeod()),
+    _base_pos(SGGeod::fromDeg(0,0)),
     _refname(random_string()),
     _data(NULL),
     _format(AL_FORMAT_MONO8),
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ SGSoundSample::SGSoundSample( const char *path, const char *file ) :
     _velocity(SGVec3d::zeros()),
     _orientation(SGQuatd::zeros()),
     _orivec(SGVec3f::zeros()),
-    _base_pos(SGGeod()),
+    _base_pos(SGGeod::fromDeg(0,0)),
     _refname(file),
     _data(NULL),
     _format(AL_FORMAT_MONO8),
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ SGSoundSample::SGSoundSample( const unsigned char** data,
     _velocity(SGVec3d::zeros()),
     _orientation(SGQuatd::zeros()),
     _orivec(SGVec3f::zeros()),
-    _base_pos(SGGeod()),
+    _base_pos(SGGeod::fromDeg(0,0)),
     _refname(random_string()),
     _format(format),
     _size(len),
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ SGSoundSample::SGSoundSample( void** data, int len, int freq, int format ) :
     _velocity(SGVec3d::zeros()),
     _orientation(SGQuatd::zeros()),
     _orivec(SGVec3f::zeros()),
-    _base_pos(SGGeod()),
+    _base_pos(SGGeod::fromDeg(0,0)),
     _refname(random_string()),
     _format(format),
     _size(len),
@@ -220,11 +220,26 @@ void SGSoundSample::set_position( const SGGeod& pos ) {
 }
 
 void SGSoundSample::update_absolute_position() {
-    SGQuatd orient = SGQuatd::fromLonLat(_base_pos) * _orientation;
-    _orivec = -toVec3f(orient.rotate(-SGVec3d::e1()));
+    //  SGQuatd orient = SGQuatd::fromLonLat(_base_pos) * _orientation;
+    //  _orivec = -toVec3f(orient.rotate(-SGVec3d::e1()));
 
-    orient = SGQuatd::fromRealImag(0, _relative_pos) * _orientation;
-    _absolute_pos = -SGVec3d::fromGeod(_base_pos); // -orient.rotate(SGVec3d::e1());
+    // The rotation rotating from the earth centerd frame to
+    // the horizontal local frame
+    SGQuatd hlOr = SGQuatd::fromLonLat(_base_pos);
+
+    // Compute the eyepoints orientation and position
+    // wrt the earth centered frame - that is global coorinates
+    SGQuatd ec2body = hlOr*_orientation;
+
+    // This is rotates the x-forward, y-right, z-down coordinate system where
+    // simulation runs into the OpenGL camera system with x-right, y-up, z-back.
+    SGQuatd q(-0.5, -0.5, 0.5, 0.5);
+
+    // The cartesian position of the basic view coordinate
+    SGVec3d position = SGVec3d::fromGeod(_base_pos);
+
+    _absolute_pos = position + (ec2body*q).backTransform(_relative_pos);
+    _orivec = toVec3f( (ec2body*q).backTransform(_direction) );
 }
 
 string SGSoundSample::random_string() {
diff --git a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
index bfe0a2e7..2d37e30e 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.cxx
@@ -252,15 +252,8 @@ void SGSoundMgr::update_late( double dt ) {
 
         if (_changed) {
             alListenerf( AL_GAIN, _volume );
-#if 0
             alListenerfv( AL_ORIENTATION, _at_up_vec );
-#endif
-double *pos = _position.data();
-if (isnan(pos[0]) || isnan(pos[1]) || isnan(pos[2])) printf("NaN detected in listener position\n");
             alListenerfv( AL_POSITION, toVec3f(_position).data() );
-
-double *vel = _velocity.data();
-if (isnan(vel[0]) || isnan(vel[1]) || isnan(vel[2])) printf("NaN detected in listener velocity\n");
             alListenerfv( AL_VELOCITY, toVec3f(_velocity).data() );
             // alDopplerVelocity(340.3);	// TODO: altitude dependent
             testForALError("update");
diff --git a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.hxx b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.hxx
index 5d86c6be..58e63111 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.hxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/soundmgr_openal.hxx
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public:
      * @param pos OpenAL listener position
      */
     void set_position( const SGVec3d& pos ) {
-        _position = -pos;
+        _position = pos;
         _changed = true;
     }
 
diff --git a/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx b/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
index 9e3ae813..45b303a1 100644
--- a/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
+++ b/simgear/sound/xmlsound.cxx
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@
 static double _snd_inv(double v)   { return (v == 0) ? 1e99 : 1/v; }
 static double _snd_abs(double v)   { return (v >= 0) ? v : -v; }
 static double _snd_sqrt(double v)  { return sqrt(fabs(v)); }
-static double _snd_log10(double v) { return log10(fabs(v)); }
-static double _snd_log(double v)   { return log(fabs(v)); }
+static double _snd_log10(double v) { return log10(fabs(v)+1e-9); }
+static double _snd_log(double v)   { return log(fabs(v)+1e-9); }
 // static double _snd_sqr(double v)   { return v*v; }
 // static double _snd_pow3(double v)  { return v*v*v; }
 
@@ -243,9 +243,9 @@ SGXmlSound::init(SGPropertyNode *root, SGPropertyNode *node,
    float outer_gain = 0.0;
    prop = node->getChild("orientation");
    if ( prop != NULL ) {
-      dir = SGVec3d(-prop->getDoubleValue("x", 0.0),
-                    -prop->getDoubleValue("y", 0.0),
-                    -prop->getDoubleValue("z", 0.0));
+      dir = SGVec3d(prop->getDoubleValue("y", 0.0),
+                    prop->getDoubleValue("z", 0.0),
+                    prop->getDoubleValue("x", 0.0));
       inner = prop->getDoubleValue("inner-angle", 360.0);
       outer = prop->getDoubleValue("outer-angle", 360.0);
       outer_gain = prop->getDoubleValue("outer-gain", 0.0);