What would be the difference (space/sata connection wise) between installing 2 2.5 inch ssd drives and 2 7200 rpm hdd's internally? They advertise it as one 3.5 inch hdd, or 2 2.5 inch ssd's. I would think you could just as easily drop 2 1 TB 2.5 inch hdd's in there and stripe them.....
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Sonnet Echo 15 dock for the nMP
- Thread starter Cubemmal
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great idea for a product, but what on earth justifies the price?
$400 for DVD + driveless
or $450 Blueray + driveless
The Belkin dock has 90% of the features, for $100 less.
$400 for DVD + driveless
or $450 Blueray + driveless
The Belkin dock has 90% of the features, for $100 less.
And the Belkin one is even overpriced because it only offers USB3 at 2.5Gbps where others like Caldigit, Matrox and this Sonnet offer 5Gbps (the Caldigit even offers UASP). The Caldigit and Matrox are cheaper in price too. As it is now I'd recommend the Apple Thunderbolt Display for anyone interested in a dock in a display, waiting for this Sonnet if you want to have storage expansion and the Caldigit for everybody else. If Matrox and Belkin want to sell stuff they better start with things like offering TB2 in their products!
Waaaayyyy more ports including multiple audio inputs and outputs, more USB 3.0 at full speed, esata ports that are port multiplier aware, an internal optical drive and an internal hard drive just to name a few advantages. I'd say compared to the belkin it is justified. If it isn't for you then no biggee. This is especially nice for those with MacBook airs.
Plus Sonnet engineering is way better than Belkin. I don't recommend buying anything from them more complicated than a power strip. Even then they will still manage to screw it up.
Reminds me of my Belkin Router I had back when. The thing constantly overheated doing even the simplest of file transfers via wifi. I ended up cutting a hole in the botton, attached an 80mm case fan to the bottom and wired it to USB port. This allowed me to do basic file transfers, but if I had to transfer multiple GB of data I ended up having to hook my laptop to ethernet.
What a piece of crud it was.
Barring no real issues, of all the docks this one seems to make the most sense (and certainly one of the most costly) compared to the other typical offerings. If it is all that they say - I'm going to be one very happy camper.
--- I'll opt for the one with the disc drive. Sorry Apple, but lots of us love having disc drives and we don't bother with compressed files from iTunes as our norm.
--- I'll opt for the one with the disc drive. Sorry Apple, but lots of us love having disc drives and we don't bother with compressed files from iTunes as our norm.
I unfortunately bought a bunch of the WEMO devices. They keep losing their minds at the slightest provocation, and have many other issues. I'm back to using the Belkin simple timed switches. Just a dumb switch, hit a button and it will click off after a half hour, 3 or 6 hours. Simple, right? Well why did Belkin have to make it just big enough so you couldn't use the other socket? Brilliant!
Looked like it will be TB 2, but not product until summer.
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html
Nowhere does it list as having Thunderbolt 2. Two Thunderbolt ports is not the same thing as Thunderbolt 2.
Under the shipping notice delay (again) dated jan 22 the reason is TB 2
http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html
Does anyone have a good alternative suggestion?
I see. Its on the page but not directly on the tab he liked to but there is no way to link to the tab that has the information. I stand corrected. Thunderbolt 2 is a much needed addition with all of the expansion ports that dock has.
Sonnet said:
How can they have early adopters (as they mention in the delay notice) when the product has been delayed over a year now? To quote their notice "Equipping the Echo docks with Thunderbolt 2 will ensure you won't regret being an early adopter."
In my mind this takes the place of 3 or 4 devices and their cabling on the desk:
- Thunderbolt dock by another company.
- External optical drive
- External HD or SSD.
- And since it has 4 USB ports instead of 2 or 3 that the other docks have, it might eliminate the need for a USB hub.
Specification queries regarding Echo 15 and Pro+ Thunderbolt Docks...
Here's an e-mail I recently sent to sales [at] sonnettech [dot] com , and I thought I'd share it with you to gauge your thoughts. I forgot to ask whether the Blu-ray Burner supported the playback of 3D discs.
"Specification queries regarding Echo 15 and Pro+ Thunderbolt Docks, and proposals for future Ethernet speed and compatibility improvements for Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock
Dear Sonnet,
1. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Drive) (ECHO-DK-BD-0TB), you state, "Blu-ray Player Software: OS X player software included" ( http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html ). What is the exact name and version of the included software?
2. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Burner) (ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB), you state under 'Technical Notes', "1. Software for Blu-ray disc burning and movie playback required; sold separately." Will there be the option to buy, at a discount, the Mac Blu-Ray playing software that is bundled with the lower models with only a Blu-ray Drive reader?
3. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Burner) (ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB), you state, "Blu-ray disc burner (4x BD-R/8x DVD±RW drive)". What is the exact manufacturer and model of your Blu-ray Burner?
4. According to these quotes, your burner should be able to burn the new 25 GB Blu-ray M-Disc ( http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...Launches-M-Disc-Blu-ray-Providing-5X-Capacity ):
"M-DISC Blu-ray... disc will be compatible with most of existing Blu-ray burner models." ( http://www.ritekusa.com/ConsumerProducts/OpticalDiscs/MDISC.aspx )
"Are M-Discs in the Blu-ray & DVD family ?" "All Blu-ray RW drives can engrave data onto the M-Disc Blu-ray." ( http://www.ritek.com/m-disc/eng/p5-faq.asp )
"The new Blu-ray M-DISCs will be writable and readable on any Blu-ray combo drive... " ( http://www.storagenewsletter.com/rubriques/optical/millenniata-blu-ray-m-disc/ )
"For DVD, you need a compatible drive but the M-Disc Blu-ray is designed for all current BD specifications." ( http://www.mdisc.com/how-do-i-use-mdisc/ )
However, can your Blu-ray Burner also burn M-Disc DVDs?
5. I understand that your docks were originally designed for Thunderbolt 1:
"Some workflows require Thunderbolt 2's 20Gbps bandwidth. With the Echo 15 docks' multiple options for connecting (internal SATA SSDs, eSATA, USB 3.0, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet), transferring or editing files at full speed across multiple connections can potentially be throttled by the bandwidth of 10Gbps Thunderbolt. Upgrading the Echo docks to Thunderbolt 2 will make them more capable."
However, surely the fact that they have now been upgraded to Thunderbolt 2 - and therefore an increase in bandwidth from 10Gbps to 20Gbps - means that there should now be some bandwidth to spare?
Therefore, do you have plans to release a premium version of your dock with a single 10GBASE-T port rather than a gigabit port?
You have a list of compatible PCIe 2.0 x8 cards on your website for your bare Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock (ECHO-EXP-SEL) ( http://www.sonnettech.com/support/charts/thunderbolt/index.html#ethernetadapters10gigabit ). In your press release, you make reference to the dual-port PETG2-CAT6A at $900, "For example, in a test using Small Tree Communications' dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet CAT6 Network Adapter with the Echo Express SEL, performance increased by 40 percent compared to the same card tested in a standard 10 Gb/sec Thunderbolt-to-PCIe chassis." ( http://www.sonnettech.com/news/pr2014/pr031114_echoexpresssel.html ). The non-certified, single-port PETG1-CAT6A is $750. However, there are cheaper compatible alternatives in your Compatibility List. I can't find a price for the dual-port 10G-PCIE2-8C2-2T or the single-port 10G-PCIE2-8C-T, but ATTO's dual-port FFRM-NT12-000 is $800 and single-port FFRM-NT11-000 is $700. Therefore, given that the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB is $550, would it be possible to sell my proposed premium version with a single 10GBASE-T port rather than a gigabit port for no more than $1250?
However, two years ago at NAB 2012, Small Tree announced that they had created an OS X software driver for Intel's dual-port X540-T2 and (presumably also) single-port X540-T1 ( http://www.small-tree.com/Articles.asp?Id=408 ), which are far more competitively priced at $500 and $350 respectively. Whilst the Intel chip is predictably the basis for Small Tree's own ThunderNET2 TN2-10-2P and ThunderNET2 TN2-10-1P docks, "All ThunderNET2 products incorporate the latest Intel chip Technology... " ( http://www.small-tree.com/Thunderbolt_Products_for_Mac_OS_X_s/192.htm ), and, "Whats interesting about the chip Small Tree uses (Intel x540)... " ( http://blog.small-tree.com/the-latest/thunderbolt-updates/ ), given that this is also the basis for another company's Thunderbolt chassis, "Products like Magmas ExpressBox 3T and Small Trees network software drivers for Intels 10G Ethernet Converged Networking Adapter X540-T2 help highlight what Thunderbolt makes possible." ( https://www.small-tree.com/Articles.asp?Id=410 ), would you be able to build on your existing good relationship with Small Tree to incorporate support for the Intel adapters in the Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock, and then in my proposed premium version of the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock? This should then reduce my suggested price of the latter from $1250 to $900.
Thank you,
Nick"
Here's an e-mail I recently sent to sales [at] sonnettech [dot] com , and I thought I'd share it with you to gauge your thoughts. I forgot to ask whether the Blu-ray Burner supported the playback of 3D discs.
"Specification queries regarding Echo 15 and Pro+ Thunderbolt Docks, and proposals for future Ethernet speed and compatibility improvements for Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock
Dear Sonnet,
1. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Drive) (ECHO-DK-BD-0TB), you state, "Blu-ray Player Software: OS X player software included" ( http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html ). What is the exact name and version of the included software?
2. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Burner) (ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB), you state under 'Technical Notes', "1. Software for Blu-ray disc burning and movie playback required; sold separately." Will there be the option to buy, at a discount, the Mac Blu-Ray playing software that is bundled with the lower models with only a Blu-ray Drive reader?
3. On the Technical Specifications page for the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock (with Blu-ray Burner) (ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB), you state, "Blu-ray disc burner (4x BD-R/8x DVD±RW drive)". What is the exact manufacturer and model of your Blu-ray Burner?
4. According to these quotes, your burner should be able to burn the new 25 GB Blu-ray M-Disc ( http://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...Launches-M-Disc-Blu-ray-Providing-5X-Capacity ):
"M-DISC Blu-ray... disc will be compatible with most of existing Blu-ray burner models." ( http://www.ritekusa.com/ConsumerProducts/OpticalDiscs/MDISC.aspx )
"Are M-Discs in the Blu-ray & DVD family ?" "All Blu-ray RW drives can engrave data onto the M-Disc Blu-ray." ( http://www.ritek.com/m-disc/eng/p5-faq.asp )
"The new Blu-ray M-DISCs will be writable and readable on any Blu-ray combo drive... " ( http://www.storagenewsletter.com/rubriques/optical/millenniata-blu-ray-m-disc/ )
"For DVD, you need a compatible drive but the M-Disc Blu-ray is designed for all current BD specifications." ( http://www.mdisc.com/how-do-i-use-mdisc/ )
However, can your Blu-ray Burner also burn M-Disc DVDs?
5. I understand that your docks were originally designed for Thunderbolt 1:
"Some workflows require Thunderbolt 2's 20Gbps bandwidth. With the Echo 15 docks' multiple options for connecting (internal SATA SSDs, eSATA, USB 3.0, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet), transferring or editing files at full speed across multiple connections can potentially be throttled by the bandwidth of 10Gbps Thunderbolt. Upgrading the Echo docks to Thunderbolt 2 will make them more capable."
However, surely the fact that they have now been upgraded to Thunderbolt 2 - and therefore an increase in bandwidth from 10Gbps to 20Gbps - means that there should now be some bandwidth to spare?
Therefore, do you have plans to release a premium version of your dock with a single 10GBASE-T port rather than a gigabit port?
You have a list of compatible PCIe 2.0 x8 cards on your website for your bare Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock (ECHO-EXP-SEL) ( http://www.sonnettech.com/support/charts/thunderbolt/index.html#ethernetadapters10gigabit ). In your press release, you make reference to the dual-port PETG2-CAT6A at $900, "For example, in a test using Small Tree Communications' dual-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet CAT6 Network Adapter with the Echo Express SEL, performance increased by 40 percent compared to the same card tested in a standard 10 Gb/sec Thunderbolt-to-PCIe chassis." ( http://www.sonnettech.com/news/pr2014/pr031114_echoexpresssel.html ). The non-certified, single-port PETG1-CAT6A is $750. However, there are cheaper compatible alternatives in your Compatibility List. I can't find a price for the dual-port 10G-PCIE2-8C2-2T or the single-port 10G-PCIE2-8C-T, but ATTO's dual-port FFRM-NT12-000 is $800 and single-port FFRM-NT11-000 is $700. Therefore, given that the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock ECHO-DK-PRO-0TB is $550, would it be possible to sell my proposed premium version with a single 10GBASE-T port rather than a gigabit port for no more than $1250?
However, two years ago at NAB 2012, Small Tree announced that they had created an OS X software driver for Intel's dual-port X540-T2 and (presumably also) single-port X540-T1 ( http://www.small-tree.com/Articles.asp?Id=408 ), which are far more competitively priced at $500 and $350 respectively. Whilst the Intel chip is predictably the basis for Small Tree's own ThunderNET2 TN2-10-2P and ThunderNET2 TN2-10-1P docks, "All ThunderNET2 products incorporate the latest Intel chip Technology... " ( http://www.small-tree.com/Thunderbolt_Products_for_Mac_OS_X_s/192.htm ), and, "Whats interesting about the chip Small Tree uses (Intel x540)... " ( http://blog.small-tree.com/the-latest/thunderbolt-updates/ ), given that this is also the basis for another company's Thunderbolt chassis, "Products like Magmas ExpressBox 3T and Small Trees network software drivers for Intels 10G Ethernet Converged Networking Adapter X540-T2 help highlight what Thunderbolt makes possible." ( https://www.small-tree.com/Articles.asp?Id=410 ), would you be able to build on your existing good relationship with Small Tree to incorporate support for the Intel adapters in the Echo Express SEL Thunderbolt 2 dock, and then in my proposed premium version of the Echo 15 Pro+ Thunderbolt Dock? This should then reduce my suggested price of the latter from $1250 to $900.
Thank you,
Nick"
