Echo Express II Thunderbolt Expansion Chassis by Sonnet

Sonnet Technologies Inc. announced the Echo Express II, new member of the Echo family of Thunderbolt expansion chassis for PCIe cards.

Featuring two PCIe slots, the Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion chassis enables the use of a variety of PCIe – originally designed for use in desktop computers – with any computer equipped with a Thunderbolt port.

The Echo Express II was designed for users needing a compact solution to connect two PCIe cards to their computers, and supports the majority of Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards. Based on the original Echo Express expansion chassis, the Echo Express II adds a second slot to support two half-length (up to 7.25 inches long), full-height, single-width PCIe 2.0 x16 cards. Like its siblings, the expansion chassis has dual Thunderbolt ports to support daisy-chaining of devices.

The new chassis includes three temperature-controlled, variable-speed fans for cooling the cards and the chassis’ components, and a universal 100W internal power supply. This solution also conserves energy by powering on and off with the computer to which it is attached.

The Echo Express II enables iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro computers equipped with a Thunderbolt port to use Thunderbolt-compatible professional video capture, audio interface, SAS and SATA HBA, 8Gb FC, 10GbE, and RAID controller cards. The list of compatible cards is available on Sonnet’s website and is expanding as more cards are tested and certified.

Like the other models in the family, the Echo Express II was designed, engineered, and built by Sonnet in California. The system is backed with Sonnet’s Pro five-year warranty.

"Feedback from our customers on the Echo Express line has been overwhelmingly positive. These products have been integrated into the workflows of many creative professionals, with users discovering new applications every day," said Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet. "Similar to the Echo Express Pro, the Echo Express II was designed to accommodate the needs of users requiring two slots for expansion cards, but not the extra length afforded by the Echo Express Pro’s longer design."

The Echo Express II (part number ECHO-EXP2H) is available for $699.