The accessory specialist Sonnet is offering the Echo 20, which it claims is the “SuperDock for Thunderbolt 4,” providing a wide range of ports and the ability to expand storage with an M.2 NVMe SSD. On the front of the Echo 20, there is a combined audio connection, an SD card slot, and USB-A and USB-C ports. On the back, there are more USB-A and USB-C ports, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 connections, and an Ethernet connection. The Echo 20 also includes audio line-out sockets, a feature unique to Thunderbolt 4 docks. Power is supplied via an external power pack, and the dock supports 4K, 5K, 6K, and 8K displays.
One unique feature of the Echo 20 is the option to install an SSD. The SSD slot is located on the bottom of the dock, and users can insert a suitable M.2 SSD. Sonnet claims that the dock can support up to 8 TB of storage with a maximum throughput of 800 MB per second. The heat management of the dock will be tested in future.
Sonnet plans to launch the Echo 20 “shortly” with a recommended retail price of 433 euros, excluding the cost of an SSD. The dock is compatible with Macs with Apple Silicon and Intel chips, Windows machines with USB4/Thunderbolt 4, newer models with Thunderbolt 3, and iPad Pro tablets with M chips and USB-C.
