diff --git a/src/mame/audio/suna8.c b/src/mame/audio/suna8.c
index 1f0ea7fc597..5fe1ad7cbfe 100644
--- a/src/mame/audio/suna8.c
+++ b/src/mame/audio/suna8.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ SAMPLES_START_CB_MEMBER(suna8_state::sh_start)
 
 WRITE8_MEMBER(suna8_state::suna8_samples_number_w)
 {
-	m_sample = data & 0xf;
+	m_sample = data;
 	logerror("%s: sample number = %02X\n", machine().describe_context(), data);
 }
 
@@ -49,30 +49,27 @@ void suna8_state::play_sample(int index)
 WRITE8_MEMBER(suna8_state::suna8_play_samples_w)
 {
 	logerror("%s: play sample = %02X\n", machine().describe_context(), data);
-	if ( data )
-	{
-		if ( ~data & 0x10 )
-		{
-			play_sample(m_sample);
-		}
-		else if ( ~data & 0x08 )
-		{
-			play_sample((m_sample & 3) + 7);
-		}
-		else if ( ~data & 0x40 )    // sparkman, second sample rom
-		{
-			play_sample(m_sample + 0x10);
-		}
-	}
+
+	// At boot: ff (ay reset) -> 00 (game writes ay enable) -> f9 (game writes to port A).
+	// Then game writes f9 -> f1 -> f9. Is bit 3 stop/reset?
+
+	if ( m_play == 0xe9 && data == 0xf9 )
+		play_sample(m_sample & 0x0f);
+	else if ( m_play == 0xb9 && data == 0xf9 ) // second sample rom
+		play_sample(((m_sample >> 4) & 0x0f) + 0x10);
+
+	m_play = data;
 }
 
 WRITE8_MEMBER(suna8_state::rranger_play_samples_w)
 {
-	if (data)
-	{
-		if (( m_sample != 0 ) && ( ~data & 0x30 ))  // don't play sample zero when those bits are active
-		{
-			play_sample(m_sample);
-		}
-	}
+	logerror("%s: play sample = %02X\n", machine().describe_context(), data);
+
+	// At boot: ff (ay reset) -> 00 (game writes ay enable) -> 30 (game writes to port A).
+	// Is bit 6 stop/reset?
+
+	if ( m_play == 0x60 && data == 0x70 )
+		play_sample(m_sample & 0x0f);
+
+	m_play = data;
 }
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/suna8.c b/src/mame/drivers/suna8.c
index 00089cb4cc3..5b1259e6e16 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/suna8.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/suna8.c
@@ -2165,7 +2165,7 @@ static MACHINE_CONFIG_START( sparkman, suna8_state )
 	MCFG_SOUND_ROUTE(ALL_OUTPUTS, "mono", 1.0)
 
 	MCFG_SOUND_ADD("aysnd", AY8910, SUNA8_MASTER_CLOCK / 16)
-	MCFG_AY8910_PORT_A_WRITE_CB(WRITE8(suna8_state, suna8_play_samples_w))
+	MCFG_AY8910_PORT_A_WRITE_CB(WRITE8(suna8_state, suna8_play_samples_w))	// two sample roms
 	MCFG_AY8910_PORT_B_WRITE_CB(WRITE8(suna8_state, suna8_samples_number_w))
 	MCFG_SOUND_ROUTE(ALL_OUTPUTS, "mono", 0.30)
 
@@ -2218,6 +2218,9 @@ Sound processor -  Z80
 
 ***************************************************************************/
 
+// The sample rom is from srange with 1 byte changed (first byte is FF here, instead of 77)
+// (laugh sound used when scoring a goal at the end of level 1)
+
 ROM_START( hardhead )
 	ROM_REGION( 0x48000, "maincpu", 0 ) /* Main Z80 Code */
 	ROM_LOAD( "p1",  0x00000, 0x8000, CRC(c6147926) SHA1(8d1609aaeac344c6aec102e92d34caab22a8ec64) )    // 1988,9,14
diff --git a/src/mame/includes/suna8.h b/src/mame/includes/suna8.h
index 41ff298e1ab..8b57fd158e3 100644
--- a/src/mame/includes/suna8.h
+++ b/src/mame/includes/suna8.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public:
 
 	// samples
 	INT16 *m_samplebuf;
-	int m_sample;
+	int m_sample, m_play;
 	int m_numsamples;
 
 #if TILEMAPS