diff --git a/src/emu/sound/sp0256.c b/src/emu/sound/sp0256.c
index 8039e774599..1cec0471573 100644
--- a/src/emu/sound/sp0256.c
+++ b/src/emu/sound/sp0256.c
@@ -1212,7 +1212,10 @@ static DEVICE_START( sp0256 )
     /*  Setup the ROM.                                                      */
     /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 	sp->rom = *device->region();
-	sp0256_bitrevbuff(sp->rom, 0, 0xffff);
+	// the rom is not supposed to be reversed first; according to Joe Zbiciak.
+	// see http://forums.bannister.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=72385#Post72385
+	// TODO: because of this, check if the bitrev functions are even used anywhere else
+	//sp0256_bitrevbuff(sp->rom, 0, 0xffff);
 }
 
 static void sp0256_reset(sp0256_state *sp)
diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/sauro.c b/src/mame/drivers/sauro.c
index 07b7886ba5a..beb40888862 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/sauro.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/sauro.c
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ ROM_START( sauro )
 
 	ROM_REGION( 0x10000, "speech", 0 )
 	/* SP0256 mask rom */
-	ROM_LOAD( "sp0256-al2.bin",   0x1000, 0x0800, CRC(df8de0b0) SHA1(86fb6d9fef955ac0bc76e0c45c66585946d278a1) )
+	ROM_LOAD( "sp0256-al2.bin",   0x1000, 0x0800, CRC(b504ac15) SHA1(e60fcb5fa16ff3f3b69d36c7a6e955744d3feafc) )
 ROM_END
 
 ROM_START( saurop )
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ ROM_START( saurop )
 
 	ROM_REGION( 0x10000, "speech", 0 )
 	/* SP0256 mask rom */
-	ROM_LOAD( "sp0256-al2.bin",   0x1000, 0x0800, CRC(df8de0b0) SHA1(86fb6d9fef955ac0bc76e0c45c66585946d278a1) )
+	ROM_LOAD( "sp0256-al2.bin",   0x1000, 0x0800, CRC(b504ac15) SHA1(e60fcb5fa16ff3f3b69d36c7a6e955744d3feafc) )
 ROM_END
 
 ROM_START( trckydoc )