So after playing for about 30 hours, I finally see a distinct pattern with the audio problem where it cuts out.
I first reported it as a “stutter”, that’s actually incorrect because it implies it’s happening all the time, which it isn’t.
I experience the audio cutting out when I first enter an area after I haven’t been there for a while. The audio cutting out is accompanied by graphics frames missing/short freezes/graphics stutters. I also notice that if I go into combat right away after entering a new area, the combat also misses several seconds of frames before suddenly kicking back in again. The sound also cuts out of the combat and then comes back a second later.
Also, when I first enter an area, a lot of the scenic elements are late to load in and suddenly pop in as I’m running through it. Example of this is the big drawbridge and gate leading out of Sacrament into the Orban Glades. As you’re running through that area, the bridge and road in front of it is missing for a few seconds then suddenly loads in.
***So it’s important to note that it appears that this problem is associated with the game LOADING NEW AREAS, or LOADING AN AREA PREVIOUSLY VISITED.
The game is trying to load all the information for the new area and it feels like it has to catch up so to speak, as your character is already trying to do things in it.
*Note, I have my game installed on an SSD so I would imagine this problem would be MUCH worse on a standard HDD.