Sound starts earlier than the srtart of the audio strip in VS Editor

I have a short animation set up in the 3D window and in the Video Sequence Editor window I have added two audio strips.
Strip1, a classical piano piece, being too long was cut. When I cut it (Sh+K) to 100 frames and retained only the left segment, there is no sound (with ALt+A) and if cut to 200 frames, the sound plays for a few frames and stops. Why is that?

Strip2 is placed further down the line at about frame 150 but the sound starts playing well before the green vertical meets the strip. Shouldn’t the sound precisely at the start of the audio strip?

To sum up:
1)if an audio strip is cut and left part is retained, the sound either does not play or plays just a few frames and stops.
2) if a strip is placed further down (say after frame 150), the sound starts playing much earlier - well before the frame indicator meets the strip.

Suggestions/solutions will be gratefully received.