It's not the car install, as I haven't actually gotten it installed in a car yet. (That's right, a vehicular MP3 player that sits on my stereo at home all the time. That will change.)
Ctrl-T says that the RAM is maximally groovy.
And I've never noticed any problems with my home stereo setup before, though it is getting a bit long in the tooth.
I haven't been noticing the clicks lately, as I have been using the Empeg for background music and not focusing on the output in minute detail.
I'll keep everyone posted if I track down anything more.