Sonnet Echo III Desktop 3-slot PCIe Card Expansion for Full Size Cards

Echo Express III Desktop 3-slot PCIe Card Expansion for Full-Size Cards

3-slot Desktop Thunderbolt to PCIe Card Expansion System for Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports

Key Features:

• For Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports
• Three PCIe 3.0 Slots – One x16 plus Two x8 Slots
• Supports Three Full-height, Single-width Cards, or One Double-width Card plus One Single-width Card
• Avid® Pro Tools | HDX Compatible
• Broad PCIe Card Compatibility Support – see PCIe Cards Compatibility PDF
• Pro Power – Integrated 400W Power Supply with 75W Auxiliary Power
• Remarkably Quiet – Noctua Fans Rated at 17dBA
• 40Gbps Thunderbolt System
• Thunderbolt 3 Technology for Maximum Performance – Offers Four Lanes of Full PCIe Bandwidth for the Installed Cards (Thunderbolt 4 Would be Limited to One PCIe Lane Total. See Sonnet's Video Why Sonnet‘s High-Performance Pro Products Use Thunderbolt 3 Instead of Thunderbolt for Details.)
• Two Thunderbolt Ports – One Port to Host Computer, Second Port for Thunderbolt Peripherals Daisy Chain
• Rugged Aluminum Housing
• Energy Savings – Powers On/Off Automatically with the Computer
• Mac, Windows, and Linux Compatible (see Product Page Tech Specs for Current Hardware and OS Compatibility)
• Avid Qualified
• 2-year Product Warranty
• Free Lifetime Customer Technical Support
• Designed and Made in the USA

Connect Three Full-length PCIe Cards to Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports
For creative pros using the latest portable, mini desktop and all-in-one computers in their workflows, onboard processing power alone is not enough to get the job done. While these Mac®, Windows®, and Linux® computers include high-performance Thunderbolt™ 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports to support peripherals, what they lack is PCIe expansion slots to install specialty cards that add needed video and audio inputs, transcode data, and connect to high-speed shared storage and networks. Sonnet has a solution — the Echo™ III Desktop — a professional Thunderbolt to PCIe card expansion system that enables you to connect three (up to) full-length (12.28 inches long) PCIe cards at the same time, via a single cable.

The Thunderbolt Connection
Plugged into one of your computer’s Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Echo III Desktop system enables you to connect professional PCIe cards (three full-height, single-width cards, or one double-width card plus one single-width card).

Supports Every Thunderbolt Compatible, Non-GPU PCIe Card
Echo III Desktop supports every Thunderbolt compatible, non-GPU 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? We’ve put together a compatibility list that identifies cards conforming to Thunderbolt technology requirements, and organized by fit and power compatibility with specific expansion systems. PCIe Cards Compatibility PDF

Avid Pro Tools Qualified
Ready for up to Three Pro Tools | HDX PCIe Cards – no Extra Parts Required
At the flick of a switch, the Avid qualified Echo III Desktop system is instantly optimized to support up to three Pro Tools | HDX PCIe cards, with no extra parts necessary! This chassis has been tested and is qualified by Avid Audio group for use with Avid Pro Tools HD 2020 software, and Avid Pro Tools HDX and HD Native systems.

Three PCIe 3.0 Slots and Power to Spare
The Echo III Desktop features one x16 and two x8 PCIe 3.0 slots, enabling it to support a wide variety of cards at the same time. To support really power-hungry cards, it integrates a universal 400W power supply and includes a 75W auxiliary power connector for non-GPU cards that require extra power, including the Avid Pro Tools | HDX. Designed without a power switch, the Echo III 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 III 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 cards to effectively and efficiently cool the system.

The Secure Connection for High Performance
40Gbps Thunderbolt Cable and ThunderLok 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.

40Gbps Thunderbolt. Fastest External Interface Available
The Echo III Desktop features a 40Gbps Thunderbolt interface that delivers up to 2800 MB/s of PCIe bandwidth, 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 and Apple M1 and M2 Series
Echo III Desktop is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 computers. Sonnet Thunderbolt expansion systems are purposely designed with a Thunderbolt 3 controller and its four lanes of PCIe (not available in a Thunderbolt 4 peripheral) to achieve maximum simultaneous ingest speeds. Learn more about the performance benefits of Thunderbolt 3 over Thunderbolt 4.

Backward Compatible with Older Macs
No Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3? No problem — the Echo III Desktop is also compatible with Macs with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports when used with the bi-directional Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt cable (both sold separately).