EdCircuit Staff 
Echo™ 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock Features M.2 SSD With up to 6,100 MB/s Data Transfer Support Plus Four Thunderbolt 5 Ports; Provides up to 140W Charging Power to Laptop Computers and 2.5Gb Ethernet Support
What’s New:
Sonnet Technologies today announced the Echo 13 Thunderbolt™ 5 SSD Dock, the latest offering in the company’s popular family of docking stations and the first to exploit Thunderbolt 5, the fastest external computer interface available.
The Echo 13 SSD dock features a choice of Thunderbolt certified PCIe® 4.0 NVMe® SSDs from Kingston® Technology and also includes:
Four Thunderbolt 5 ports
Four USB 3.2 Type A ports
2.5Gb Ethernet (RJ45) port
3.5mm headset jack
SD and microSD card slots
The Sonnet dock is compatible with Apple® M series Mac® computers; Thunderbolt 3 Intel® Mac computers; Thunderbolt 5 and most Thunderbolt 4 Windows® computers; Thunderbolt 5 and 4 Chromebook® computers; M series iPad Pro® tablets; and USB4® laptops. See product page for complete compatibility details.
What It Does:
Modern laptops are increasingly designed with minimal ports, making docking stations essential for connecting multiple peripherals at once and expanding functionality. Additionally, with rising costs for higher storage capacity laptops, users often need extra external storage. The Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock solves these challenges by:
Centralizing to a single connection for displays, devices, storage, charging, and more.
Offering ultra-fast, built-in SSD storage (1TB, 2TB, or 4TB options).
Supporting multiple displays up to 8K resolution for enhanced productivity.
Delivering 140W power delivery for rapid laptop charging.
“Kingston is proud to have been chosen to supply our award-winning NVMe SSDs for Sonnet’s innovative Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock. Known for exceptional quality and support, our SSDs are the perfect match to enhance the capabilities of Sonnet’s latest Thunderbolt dock.” — Keith Schimmenti, SSD Business Manager at Kingston Technology
Why It’s Important:
Many recent laptop computers include fewer peripheral ports and port types than those of the past — some are equipped with as few as two ports — thus limiting the number of devices that can be plugged in directly. Also, many users desire to augment the internal storage for increased capacity and/or backup. The Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock overcomes these limitations by providing 12 external connections, connecting superfast internal storage, charging the computer, connecting monitors, supporting fast wired network connectivity, and reading all SD memory cards. With its mix of peripheral ports, the Echo dock connects a vast array of devices and supports high-performance peripherals with ease.
“The Echo 13 SSD Dock is just the beginning of our Thunderbolt 5 journey. We are excited to deliver products that fully leverage the speed and flexibility of this next-generation technology.” — Robert Farnsworth, CEO Sonnet Technologies
How It’s Distinctive:
Fastest External Interface Available
The Echo dock’s Thunderbolt 5 interface supports the full 80Gbps of bi-directional data bandwidth — double what’s supported by Thunderbolt 4 docks — enabling more ports to simultaneously operate at maximum performance. Additionally, the Echo dock supports up to 120Gbps of video bandwidth, enabling higher display counts, resolutions, and frame rates.
Pre-Installed Kingston PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD
Users can access 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of ultra-fast storage without connecting an external storage device to the Echo dock or to the computer. With data transfers up to 6,100 MB/s supported, the internal storage is ideal for uses ranging from pro content creation and application storage to media storage and Time Machine® backups.
Three Thunderbolt 5 Peripheral Ports, Broad Device Support
These ports support Thunderbolt 5, 4, and 3 peripherals, as well as USB4 V2, USB4, and all USB 3 devices, plus displays. Two of the downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports provide up to 15W each for charging and bus-powered device operation, while the third provides 60W for ultra-fast charging of the latest phones and tablets.
2.5Gb Ethernet Port
The dock’s Ethernet port supports the 2.5Gb link speed over common Cat 5e cabling and is perfect for connecting to networks 2.5-times as fast as Gigabit Ethernet for faster file transfers and smoother gaming. The port can also provide speedier downloads from a network attached storage (NAS) system.
Four USB 3.2 Type A Ports
Includes three 10Gbps ports and one 5Gbps port. The three 10Gbps ports provide 7.5W each to ensure reliable support for high-power bus-powered devices and charging capabilities even when the computer is off.
Comprehensive Display Support
Connect two 8K displays, two 6K displays, or three 4K displays, depending on the host computer’s capabilities.
Kensington® Security Lock Support
The Sonnet dock includes slots for Kensington’s standard and NanoSaver® security locks, enabling users to easily secure the dock and valuable data stored in it to a desk or workstation (locks sold separately).
“Thunderbolt™ has become a mainstream computer peripheral port technology, and Thunderbolt 5 delivers on the promise of next-level simplicity, reliability, compatibility, and performance. Docking stations and portable SSDs are leading market segments utilizing Thunderbolt technology, and we are excited to welcome the introduction of the Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock which can help address the needs of Sonnet’s customers with an innovative solution delivering storage and docking capabilities.” — Benjamin Hacker, Vice President and General Manager Client Connectivity Division at Intel
When You Can Get Them:
The Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock with 4TB SSD (part number ECHO-DK13-4TB5) is expected to ship in limited quantities in January 2025 from Sonnet and in greater quantities beginning mid-March 2025 and soon after from Sonnet and its worldwide distribution and reseller partners at the suggested retail price of $669.99. The Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock with 1TB SSD (part number ECHO-DK13-1TB5) and Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 SSD Dock with 2TB SSD (part number ECHO-DK13-2TB5) are expected to ship beginning mid-March 2025 at suggested retail prices of $399.99, and $499.99, respectively.
More Context:
www.sonnettech.com/product/echo13-thunderbolt5-ssd-dock | www.sonnettech.com
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About Sonnet Technologies
Sonnet Technologies Inc. is a leading provider of Thunderbolt technology products and network, storage, and other interface cards under the SONNETTECH brand for pro users in the audio, video, filmmaking, and broadcast industries. Sonnet’s array of Thunderbolt products includes a broad variety of docks, network interface and display adapters, and pro media readers, plus PCIe card expansion systems that enable the use of pro audio I/O and DSP cards, pro video capture and transcoding cards, GPU cards, NVMe SSD storage cards, and other high-performance PCIe cards with computers with Thunderbolt ports. Due to Sonnet’s Thunderbolt technology expertise, it has become a leading designer/manufacturer of ODM boards that enable the integration of Thunderbolt ports into third-party products. For nearly 40 years Sonnet has pioneered and brought to market numerous innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. More information is available at www.sonnettech.com.
About Intel Corporation
Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intel’s innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.
About Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
From big data to IoT devices, including laptops, PCs, and wearable technology, Kingston Technology is dedicated to delivering top-tier product solutions, service, and support. Trusted by leading PC manufacturers and global cloud providers, we value our long-term partnerships that help us evolve and innovate. We ensure every solution meets the highest standards by prioritizing quality and customer care. At every step, we listen, learn, and engage with our customers and partners to deliver solutions that make a lasting impact. To learn more about Kingston Technology and our “Built on Commitment” vision, visit kingston.com.
All trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.
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