How to keep onItemSelected from firing off on a newly instantiated Spinner?

The use of Runnables is completely incorrect.

Use setSelection(position, false); in the initial selection before setOnItemSelectedListener(listener)

This way you set your selection with no animation which causes the on item selected listener to be called. But the listener is null so nothing is run. Then your listener is assigned.

So follow this exact sequence:

Spinner s = (Spinner)Util.findViewById(view, R.id.sound, R.id.spinner);
s.setAdapter(adapter);
s.setSelection(position, false);
s.setOnItemSelectedListener(listener);