diff --git a/applet/contents/ui/main.qml b/applet/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applet/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applet/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -44,11 +44,11 @@
     Layout.preferredHeight: units.gridUnit * 20
     Layout.preferredWidth: units.gridUnit * 20
 
-    Plasmoid.icon: sinkModel.defaultSink ? Icon.name(sinkModel.defaultSink.volume, sinkModel.defaultSink.muted) : Icon.name(0, true)
+    Plasmoid.icon: sinkModel.preferredSink ? Icon.name(sinkModel.preferredSink.volume, sinkModel.preferredSink.muted) : Icon.name(0, true)
     Plasmoid.switchWidth: units.gridUnit * 12
     Plasmoid.switchHeight: units.gridUnit * 12
     Plasmoid.toolTipMainText: displayName
-    Plasmoid.toolTipSubText: sinkModel.defaultSink ? i18n("Volume at %1%\n%2", volumePercent(sinkModel.defaultSink.volume), sinkModel.defaultSink.description) : ""
+    Plasmoid.toolTipSubText: sinkModel.preferredSink ? i18n("Volume at %1%\n%2", volumePercent(sinkModel.preferredSink.volume), sinkModel.preferredSink.description) : ""
 
     function boundVolume(volume) {
         return Math.max(PulseAudio.MinimalVolume, Math.min(volume, maxVolumeValue));
@@ -62,32 +62,32 @@
     }
 
     function increaseVolume() {
-        if (!sinkModel.defaultSink) {
+        if (!sinkModel.preferredSink) {
             return;
         }
-        var volume = boundVolume(sinkModel.defaultSink.volume + volumeStep);
-        sinkModel.defaultSink.muted = false;
-        sinkModel.defaultSink.volume = volume;
+        var volume = boundVolume(sinkModel.preferredSink.volume + volumeStep);
+        sinkModel.preferredSink.muted = false;
+        sinkModel.preferredSink.volume = volume;
         osd.show(volumePercent(volume, maxVolumeValue));
     }
 
     function decreaseVolume() {
-        if (!sinkModel.defaultSink) {
+        if (!sinkModel.preferredSink) {
             return;
         }
-        var volume = boundVolume(sinkModel.defaultSink.volume - volumeStep);
-        sinkModel.defaultSink.muted = false;
-        sinkModel.defaultSink.volume = volume;
+        var volume = boundVolume(sinkModel.preferredSink.volume - volumeStep);
+        sinkModel.preferredSink.muted = false;
+        sinkModel.preferredSink.volume = volume;
         osd.show(volumePercent(volume, maxVolumeValue));
     }
 
     function muteVolume() {
-        if (!sinkModel.defaultSink) {
+        if (!sinkModel.preferredSink) {
             return;
         }
-        var toMute = !sinkModel.defaultSink.muted;
-        sinkModel.defaultSink.muted = toMute;
-        osd.show(toMute ? 0 : volumePercent(sinkModel.defaultSink.volume, maxVolumeValue));
+        var toMute = !sinkModel.preferredSink.muted;
+        sinkModel.preferredSink.muted = toMute;
+        osd.show(toMute ? 0 : volumePercent(sinkModel.preferredSink.volume, maxVolumeValue));
     }
 
     function increaseMicrophoneVolume() {
diff --git a/src/device.h b/src/device.h
--- a/src/device.h
+++ b/src/device.h
@@ -35,13 +35,23 @@
 class Q_DECL_EXPORT Device : public VolumeObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
+    Q_PROPERTY(State state READ state NOTIFY stateChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString name READ name NOTIFY nameChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QString description READ description NOTIFY descriptionChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(quint32 cardIndex READ cardIndex NOTIFY cardIndexChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(QList<QObject *> ports READ ports NOTIFY portsChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(quint32 activePortIndex READ activePortIndex WRITE setActivePortIndex NOTIFY activePortIndexChanged)
     Q_PROPERTY(bool default READ isDefault WRITE setDefault NOTIFY defaultChanged)
 public:
+    enum State {
+        InvalidState = 0,
+        RunningState,
+        IdleState,
+        SuspendedState,
+        UnknownState
+    };
+    Q_ENUMS(State);
+
     virtual ~Device() {}
 
     template <typename PAInfo>
@@ -77,8 +87,15 @@
         }
         emit portsChanged();
         emit activePortIndexChanged();
+
+        State infoState = stateFromPaState(info->state);
+        if (infoState != m_state) {
+            m_state = infoState;
+            emit stateChanged();
+        }
     }
 
+    State state() const;
     QString name() const;
     QString description() const;
     quint32 cardIndex() const;
@@ -89,6 +106,7 @@
     virtual void setDefault(bool enable) = 0;
 
 signals:
+    void stateChanged();
     void nameChanged();
     void descriptionChanged();
     void cardIndexChanged();
@@ -100,11 +118,14 @@
     Device(QObject *parent);
 
 private:
+    State stateFromPaState(int value) const;
+
     QString m_name;
     QString m_description;
     quint32 m_cardIndex = -1;
     QList<QObject *> m_ports;
     quint32 m_activePortIndex = -1;
+    State m_state;
 };
 
 } // QPulseAudio
diff --git a/src/device.cpp b/src/device.cpp
--- a/src/device.cpp
+++ b/src/device.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 
 #include "device.h"
 
+QPulseAudio::Device::State QPulseAudio::Device::state() const
+{
+    return m_state;
+}
+
 QString QPulseAudio::Device::name() const
 {
     return m_name;
@@ -47,5 +52,22 @@
 
 QPulseAudio::Device::Device(QObject *parent)
     : VolumeObject(parent)
+    , m_state(UnknownState)
+{
+}
+
+QPulseAudio::Device::State QPulseAudio::Device::stateFromPaState(int value) const
 {
+    switch (value) {
+    case -1: // PA_X_INVALID_STATE
+        return InvalidState;
+    case 0:  // PA_X_RUNNING
+        return RunningState;
+    case 1:  // PA_X_IDLE
+        return IdleState;
+    case 2:  // PA_X_SUSPENDED
+        return SuspendedState;
+    default:
+        return UnknownState;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/pulseaudio.h b/src/pulseaudio.h
--- a/src/pulseaudio.h
+++ b/src/pulseaudio.h
@@ -79,18 +79,29 @@
 {
     Q_OBJECT
     Q_PROPERTY(QPulseAudio::Sink *defaultSink READ defaultSink NOTIFY defaultSinkChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(QPulseAudio::Sink *preferredSink READ preferredSink NOTIFY preferredSinkChanged)
 public:
     enum ItemRole {
         SortByDefaultRole = PulseObjectRole + 1
     };
     Q_ENUMS(ItemRole)
 
     SinkModel(QObject *parent = nullptr);
     Sink *defaultSink() const;
+    Sink *preferredSink() const;
     QVariant data(const QModelIndex &index, int role = Qt::DisplayRole) const Q_DECL_OVERRIDE;
 
 signals:
     void defaultSinkChanged();
+    void preferredSinkChanged();
+
+private:
+    void sinkAdded(int index);
+    void sinkRemoved(int index);
+    void updatePreferredSink();
+    Sink *findPreferredSink() const;
+
+    Sink *m_preferredSink;
 };
 
 class Q_DECL_EXPORT SinkInputModel : public AbstractModel
diff --git a/src/pulseaudio.cpp b/src/pulseaudio.cpp
--- a/src/pulseaudio.cpp
+++ b/src/pulseaudio.cpp
@@ -189,17 +189,33 @@
 
 SinkModel::SinkModel(QObject *parent)
     : AbstractModel(&context()->sinks(), parent)
+    , m_preferredSink(nullptr)
 {
     initRoleNames(Sink::staticMetaObject);
 
-    connect(context()->server(), &Server::defaultSinkChanged, this, &SinkModel::defaultSinkChanged);
+    for (int i = 0; i < context()->sinks().count(); ++i) {
+        sinkAdded(i);
+    }
+
+    connect(&context()->sinks(), &MapBaseQObject::added, this, &SinkModel::sinkAdded);
+    connect(&context()->sinks(), &MapBaseQObject::removed, this, &SinkModel::sinkRemoved);
+
+    connect(context()->server(), &Server::defaultSinkChanged, this, [this]() {
+        updatePreferredSink();
+        emit defaultSinkChanged();
+    });
 }
 
 Sink *SinkModel::defaultSink() const
 {
     return context()->server()->defaultSink();
 }
 
+Sink *SinkModel::preferredSink() const
+{
+    return m_preferredSink;
+}
+
 QVariant SinkModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
 {
     if (role == SortByDefaultRole) {
@@ -211,6 +227,78 @@
     return AbstractModel::data(index, role);
 }
 
+void SinkModel::sinkAdded(int index)
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(qobject_cast<Sink *>(context()->sinks().objectAt(index)));
+    Sink *sink = static_cast<Sink *>(context()->sinks().objectAt(index));
+    connect(sink, &Sink::stateChanged, this, &SinkModel::updatePreferredSink);
+
+    updatePreferredSink();
+}
+
+void SinkModel::sinkRemoved(int index)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(index);
+
+    updatePreferredSink();
+}
+
+void SinkModel::updatePreferredSink()
+{
+    Sink *sink = findPreferredSink();
+
+    if (sink != m_preferredSink) {
+        qCDebug(PLASMAPA) << "Changing preferred sink to" << sink << (sink ? sink->name() : "");
+        m_preferredSink = sink;
+        emit preferredSinkChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+Sink *SinkModel::findPreferredSink() const
+{
+    const auto &sinks = context()->sinks();
+
+    // Only one sink is the preferred one
+    if (sinks.count() == 1) {
+        return static_cast<Sink *>(sinks.objectAt(0));
+    }
+
+    auto lookForState = [this](Device::State state) {
+        Sink *ret = nullptr;
+        QMapIterator<quint32, Sink *> it(context()->sinks().data());
+        while (it.hasNext()) {
+            it.next();
+            if (it.value()->state() != state) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (!ret) {
+                ret = it.value();
+            } else if (it.value() == defaultSink()) {
+                ret = it.value();
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        return ret;
+    };
+
+    Sink *preferred = nullptr;
+
+    // Look for playing sinks + prefer default sink
+    preferred = lookForState(Device::RunningState);
+    if (preferred) {
+        return preferred;
+    }
+
+    // Look for idle sinks + prefer default sink
+    preferred = lookForState(Device::IdleState);
+    if (preferred) {
+        return preferred;
+    }
+
+    // Fallback to default sink
+    return defaultSink();
+}
+
 SourceModel::SourceModel(QObject *parent)
     : AbstractModel(&context()->sources(), parent)
 {