Introducing the EVGA NU Audio Pro Cards

The EVGA NU Audio Card reintroduced the PC world to high-end audio, both stunning the audio world and making new fans along the way. The singular idea of producing Lifelike Audio and Gaming at an affordable price led to an exclusive partnership between one of the world’s most recognizable PC hardware manufacturers and one of the true icons of the audio world – Audio Note (UK).

Level Up Your Audio

The NU Audio Pro Cards change the game once again. The pursuit of audio perfection on a PC takes another step forward with the introduction of a 7.1 Surround solution by EVGA and Audio Note. We took the solid foundation of the NU Audio Card, improved the component selections throughout, and matched it to a secondary card to provide surround support. The result is an experience where critical listening sessions can yield to enjoyment, and where thinking will surrender to feeling.
NU upgradesThe art of audio is about combining a lot of little details and fusing them together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Careful testing and fine-tuning gives the NU Audio Pro a more refined look and audio signature than its predecessor. Here’s a look at what’s new on the NU Audio Pro: 

New Cover:

• The NU Audio Pro features a bold new cover design to remind you that this isn't your run-of the mill audio card.

Audio Note (UK) Seiryu (Azure Dragon) Capacitors:

• The Seiryu capacitors, exclusive to the EVGA NU Audio Pro cards, are the progeny of Audio Note's KAISEI Electrolytic Capacitor lineage. Made using a slightly modified production process, these capacitors were designed from the ground up to improve the audio at every frequency.

Tuning Audio Through Capacitors:

• The NU Audio Pro card also features AVX F95 audio tantalum capacitors to lower distortion, create a darker background, yet still give a dense lush feeling to the audio. The NP0 ceramic capacitors were replaced with Panasonic PPS types, to give a sweeter more natural treble. Combined, this gives an increased sense of air to wide-bandwidth recordings.

New Headphone Op-amp:

• Headphone lovers have not been forgotten. The NU Audio Pro Card features an LT1469 op-amp for the headphone out, which provides a lusher and more high quality sound to the audio, bringing out great dynamics and sound-staging without the edginess or rough sounding qualities of other op-amps.

RGB Lighting (NU Audio Pro only)

• The NU Audio Pro features a new take on RGB by offering three different RGB lighting zones on the side of the card. Each zone can be linked to the other two, while the two bars can be configured for audio reactive lighting to change dynamically with your audio playback.

Combination Headphone Pre-/Power Amp Design

1. Directly change your headphone volume via the GUI controlled analog volume control (DS1882) – This is Required and Essential for Headphone DSD playback.
2. A swappable LT1469 op-amp performs as a stereo pre-amp, before the signal is divided to the dual-mono LME49600 power amps.
3. The dual-mono LME49600 power amps deliver punch and clarity to each ear, backed up by two large Audio Note 1000uF capacitors as dedicated local power reserves.
4. The power design culminates in a gold-plated ¼″ (6.3mm) headphone jack with output impedance measured at less than 0.05 ohms – 20x lower than similar products. This results in greater clarity, bass control, and lower distortion to produce Lifelike Audio.

Nahimic 3D Audio for Gamers

The NU Audio Pro Card is powered by nahimic with 3D Audio for Gamers, featuring nahimic’s groundbreaking virtual surround to enhance positioning. nahimic also brings several QoL enhancements, including a Quick EQ menu to quickly adjust audio, smart volume to limit volume fluctuation, and ambient noise suppression to play with confidence knowing that you will be heard clearly-in game.

NU AUDIO PRO Software

With more channels comes great responsibility. That’s why the NU Audio Software received a makeover to allow for new configuration options, individual and linked channel volume controls, and a new page to control the RGB lighting on the NU Audio Pro.

We've got you covered

We heard you loud and clear. The most requested feature that didn’t make it to the NU Audio Card is added to the NU Audio Pro Cards. Each of the NU Audio Pro Cards feature a uniquely designed and EMS-shielding backplate that will set your system apart.
 
To learn more about the EVGA NU Audio Pro Cards, please visit https://www.evga.com/articles/01376/evga-nu-audio-pro/

Jeez and we just got the NU Audio. Is there a way we can trade-in/Step-up to these new cards?

I can only wonder how big the difference is compared to built-in audio. Can it be heard even on relatively cheap (~50usd) headphones?

Is there a trade in/trade up program? Lets see if they hear us loud and clear.

Thanks

Does the software have Dolby Digital and DTS encoding?
 
 
 
 
 
 

I wonder why 1/8" jacks were chosen for the surround card, I'd have expected RCA like the main card's line output as I have a competitor's comparable product which has that setup.  Kind of a shame those of us with the original card cannot purchase the add-on since we lack the connector on the inside.

 
I just might get it.     

new version look good on paper lets preorder and see

jonny80s
2 days before this was released I was searching the internet for an expansion sold EMI shield to put between the graphics card and the audio card....
 
Will the Pro back plate fit the original card?
 
And will they be available for purchase?

just get the back like mine form coldzero.eu
https://www.coldzero.eu/e...-audio-backplate-color

IMO the NU audio Pro is really ready for the ones that have water pumps with coils that interfere with sound because of EMI.

Kaihekoa
Comparing the specs, the only thing that is different than the Nu Audio 1.0 is the op-amp and some capacitors.  I doubt that's going to be a noticeable difference to existing Nu Audio owners like myself.

To my ear, there was an immediately noticeable difference.  I like this difference, myself, but this is sort of the experimental side of audio.  I imagine that some people will like the more analytical signature of the original NU Audio compared to the NU Audio Pro, whereas others will prefer the somewhat warmer, airier and more dynamic NU Audio Pro.  It reminded me often of how I've described the difference between a pair of Focal Elear and Audeze LCD-2 CB headphones.  Both great, but very different signatures.  Again, that's my impression of it, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt.

jonny80s
2 days before this was released I was searching the internet for an expansion sold EMI shield to put between the graphics card and the audio card....
 
Will the Pro back plate fit the original card?
 
And will they be available for purchase?

No, the backplate will not fit the original card.  A number of differences, plus, they use different I/O brackets to accommodate the backplate.

transdogmifier
So recommend me a good set of speakers for this card? My 20 year old cambridge soundworks aren't doing well ;)

 
Edifier S3000 pro or swan m200mkiii
 



 

I have to say I do not understand what's that NU Audio Pro about. I have Nu Audio and want to upgrade. Using only headphones and only for gaming. Which one should I buy as an upgrade ? Is it one card or two cards?