Sonnet has announced its new Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 Hub. The Echo 5 was designed to be a compact and versatile Thunderbolt 4 hub.
The Echo 5 hub features four Thunderbolt 4 ports and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type-A charging port. Sonnet’s hub can deliver up to 85 watts of charging power and is compatible with all computers with Thunderbolt 4 ports. This includes all M1 Max, M1 Pro, and M1 Mac computers, as well as all Mac computers with Thunderbolt 3 ports. iPad Pro tablets with a Thunderbolt port are also supported.
The Echo 5 gives users a central hub to connect their storage devices, input devices, displays, etc. With a lot of today’s laptops featuring only a handful of inputs, hubs have become more important than ever. Sonnet’s Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 Hub enables notebook and laptop computer users to connect to all their peripheral devices at once through a single Thunderbolt cable. Through the same cable, the Echo hub can also charge compatible computers with up to 85 watts of power.
What you clearly need to be aware of is that like a lot of hubs that supply power, the Echo 5 needs to be used with a power supply. The hub has physical dimensions of 5.1 W x 2.8 D x 0.9 H inches (12.9 x 7.2 x 2.16 cm) and the power supply is 2.2 W x 5.8 D x 1.3 H inches (5.6 x 14.8 x 3.2 cm).
Depending on the computer or iPad Pro which it’s connected to, the Echo hub also supports connecting one (always 4K, up to 5K, 6K, or 8K) or up to two displays (4K + 4K, 5K + 5K, or up to 6K + 6K).
The Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 Hub provides users with the capability to connect three bus-powered Thunderbolt end devices at once, instead of limiting them to connecting multiple separately powered devices in a daisy chain. In all, the hub’s Thunderbolt ports support up to five Thunderbolt peripherals. For users with more USB than Thunderbolt peripherals, the Thunderbolt 4 ports do double duty as they support USB4 and USB 3 devices (including displays) when connected with the correct cable or adapter, even at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain.
The Echo hub’s 10Gbps USB Type A charging port supports most USB peripherals, including superfast USB NVMe SSDs, at full speed. Unlike some other hubs, the USB Type A port on the Echo 5 provides up to 7.5 watts of power to ensure bus-powered devices will operate without fail and can be used to charge a phone or tablet.
When used with an iPad Pro with a Thunderbolt port, the Echo hub provides users the same capability to connect multiple devices to their tablet at the same time, while also charging it at full power. Users may also connect a single (up to 6K) display to mirror the content on the iPad’s built-in display.
Price & Availability
The Echo 5 Thunderbolt 4 Hub is now available for $179.99 USD.
