If you have a Thunderbolt 3-enabled device, you’ve likely looked for a Thunderbolt 3 dock. The technology is fantastic, providing insane throughput rates and giving many different options when it comes to features. You can power a device, send (or receive) display information, and have high-bandwidth devices like Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.1, and more all over one cable.
I had a Thunderbolt 3 docking station with my 2016 MacBook Pro and it was fantastic. With a single cable, I could drive my UltraWide monitor (or my dual 27-inch 1440p monitors before it), get Ethernet, SD card support, and more. My dock didn’t quite fulfill all of my wants though, as it didn’t provide a full 87W of power. That’s where Sonnet’s new Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock comes in, with 87W USB-C Power Delivery, Gigabit Ethernet, and more in one slick package.
The Sonnet Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock has just about every port you could want and gives it to you over a single cable. With 87W USB-C Power Delivery, it can charge your MacBook Pro 15-inch at full speed, just like the normal wall plug Apple sends does.
There’s also five USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, dual 4K monitor support through a HDMI 2.0 port and a second Thunderbolt 3 port. The Sonnet Echo 11 supports Thunderbolt 3 daisy chaining giving you up to five additional Thunderbolt devices off of a single cable.
You’ll find three of the USB 3.0 ports on the back of the device, with the other two being front facing giving you easy access for charging or syncing your iPhone or iPad.
There’s also a UHS-II SD card reader on the Echo 11, giving you back a feature that many miss when using the MacBook Pro (and other similarly styled UltraBook computers). I know I missed the SD slot on my MacBook Pro when editing photos or videos, especially when at my desk, so this is a very welcomed addition.
With a retail price of $299, being able to charge your device with all of the extra ports is a great value when you consider everything it brings to the table. I’ve loved my Thunderbolt 3 dock since I bought it, and this Sonnet gives more features than I currently have, like extra USB ports and 87W of charging power.
[9to5-press-release]
IRVINE, Calif. — Aug. 8, 2018 — Sonnet Technologies today announced the Echo™ 11 Thunderbolt™ 3 Dock, the company’s latest product in its comprehensive line of Thunderbolt 3 expansion products. Compatible with both Mac®- and Windows® systems, the slim desktop dock connects a user’s multiple peripheral devices and links them to their computers through the included Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable. Through the same cable, the Echo 11 delivers up to 87 watts to charge and power compatible notebook computers, such as the MacBook Pro® 15-inch computer, allowing users to leave their computer’s power adapter packed away when connected to the dock.
“There are many Thunderbolt docks on the market today that scrimp on USB ports or power delivery, or both,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies. “The Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock uniquely offers a full array of ports, including five USB 3.0 ports plus the 87 watts of power delivery that a MacBook Pro 15-inch needs to operate and charge — all at a value price.”
The Echo 11 Dock offers one Gigabit Ethernet, one 3.5-millimeter audio, and five USB 3.0 interfaces, plus a handy UHS-II–compliant SD™ card reader. Eleven devices plug in directly to the Sonnet Echo 11 Dock. Two of its five USB 3.0 ports are conveniently placed on the front of the enclosure, with one supporting quick charging of an iPhone®, iPad®, or other similar device even when the user’s computer is sleeping, off, or disconnected. The dock’s SD card reader supports SD, SDHC™, and SDXC™ media at their maximum transfer speeds. The Echo Dock features a second Thunderbolt 3 port to support daisy-chaining of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripherals, plus a 4K display or a USB device at the end of the chain.
The Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock also includes support for connecting two 4K 60-hertz ultra-high-definition (UHD) or lower resolution displays, or one 5K Thunderbolt display. One display connects directly to the dock’s HDMI 2.0 port, while another display connects to the dock’s second Thunderbolt 3 port, either directly or further down the Thunderbolt chain of devices.
The Echo 11 Thunderbolt 3 Dock (part number ECHO-DK11-T3) is available now at a suggested retail price of $299. More information on the product is available at http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo11-thunderbolt3-dock.html.
More information on Sonnet and its other products is available at www.sonnettech.com.
[/9to5-press-release]
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