Power and audio issues with brand new 2018 MacBook Pro 13"

Brand new 13" MacBook Pro 2018 model with Touch Bar, factory upgraded to 16GB RAM and running 10.13.6 including the Supplemental Update. 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5.

Something is wrong with this machine, and I can't figure out how to remedy it.

1. Experiencing bad audio stuttering, crackling, and popping after a few hours' use. All audio is affected, from iTunes playback to website audio to system alert sounds. A restart will remedy the issue, but after a while the stuttering audio will return and can't be rectified without another restart. This has been happening daily since the day I got the machine late last week.

2. I thought maybe I could remedy the above issue by zapping the PRAM. Attempting to do this, however, revealed another troubling issue: After doing a proper shutdown, pressing ANY KEY will trigger a startup. This means I haven't been able to zap the PRAM, because the minute I depress any of those four keys, a normal startup is triggered! This is baffling. The computer isn't sleeping, it's shut down. But will immediately start when a key is pressed.

Is it possible that something is going on with the T2 chip? Or does my SMC need resetting? I'm getting nervous.

Andy