Sonnet Echo I Desktop Thunderbolt 3 Expansion Chassis

The Thunderbolt Connection
Plugged into one of your computer’s Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Echo I Desktop system enables you to connect one professional PCIe 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, or 1.1 PCIe card to add ports and capabilities your computer lacks.

Supports Every Type of Thunderbolt Compatible PCIe Card

• Video PCIe Card
• Audio PCIe Card
• SAS/SATA PCIe Card
• Networking PCIe Card
• SSD PCIe Card

Echo I Desktop supports every type of Thunderbolt compatible PCIe 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 card available including video capture and transcoding; audio DSP; 6Gb or 12Gb SAS or SATA host bus adapter; 10Gb or 25Gb Ethernet; SSD storage; and other specialty types to your system.

Do you have a card in mind but aren’t sure it’s compatible? Sonnet have put together a compatibility list that identifies cards conforming to Thunderbolt technology requirements, and organized by fit and power compatibility with specific expansion systems.

Space and Power To Spare
The Echo I Desktop features one x16 PCIe 3.0 slot, enabling it to support a huge variety of cards, whether single- or double-width, low-profile or full-height. To support power-hungry cards, it integrates a universal 400W power supply and includes a 150W 8-pin (6+2 pin) auxiliary power connector for cards that require extra power (including the Avid Pro Tools | HDX). The Echo I powers on and off automatically with the connected computer, saving energy in the long run. With no power switch, you can’t forget to turn off the system!

Dual Fans. Ultra-Quiet Operation
Featuring dual Noctua fans, the Echo I Desktop is designed to deliver ultra-quiet operation so that it can be comfortably used in noise-sensitive environments. Rated at 17.1dBA — below the 20dBA ceiling prescribed for use in recording and broadcast studios — the fans spread the spectrum of their noise to minimize the impact at any single frequency. To further ensure negligible noise levels, the fans are temperature-controlled, automatically speeding up and slowing down smoothly as needed, and the enclosure is engineered to optimize airflow over the installed card to cool the system effectively and efficiently.

40Gbps Thunderbolt Cable and Thunderlock 3 Included
Sonnet includes a Thunderbolt cable that supports Thunderbolt's full 40Gbps bandwidth, and is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 computers. Sonnet also provides a ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip that prevents accidental cable disconnections — just slide it over one end of the cable, and then plug in the connector and secure it to the chassis by turning a thumbscrew. Because of its unique design, ThunderLok remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.

Fastest External Interface Available
The Echo I Desktop features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt interface that delivers up to 2750 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 computer and up to 3000 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth when connected to a Thunderbolt 4 computer, enabling it to support 4K video capture and processing cards at high frame rates, audio DSPs, and 25GbE and dual-port 10GbE network cards at full performance.

Compatible With Thunderbolt 4 Computers
The Echo I Desktop is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 computers and was purposely designed with a Thunderbolt 3 controller and its four lanes of PCIe (not available in a Thunderbolt 4 peripheral) to achieve maximum performance.

Backward Compatible With Older Macs
No Thunderbolt 3? No problem — the Echo I Desktop is also compatible with Macs with Thunderbolt 2 ports when used with the bi-directional Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt cable (both sold separately).