External Thunderbolt 3 RAID Enclosure Sonnet Echo II DV Silver Steel 2, Steel Housing, 400W PSU

Sonnet Echo II DV Silver Steel 2 is an external Thunderbolt 3 RAID enclosure and Thunderbolt-to-PCIe expansion solution in a steel housing with a silver finish and an integrated 400 W power supply. Designed for professional AV and broadcast workflows, this unit provides two independent PCIe 3.0 x16 slots with dedicated Thunderbolt interfaces so two full-height, full-length cards can operate simultaneously at full bandwidth. It supports modern Mac, Windows, and Linux systems with Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 ports and includes two Thunderbolt cables and connector retainer clips to secure connections.

Advantages

The Echo II DV provides independent Thunderbolt connections for each PCIe slot, allowing two bandwidth-hungry I/O cards to run at full performance without competing for a single bus. Its built-in 400 W power supply with auxiliary power connectors supports power-demanding non-GPU cards, while temperature-controlled, low-noise cooling keeps operation quiet and reliable. Compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 hosts ensures wide platform support, and the steel housing offers durable, rack-ready construction for studio and rackmount environments.

Suitable for

• Video editing and color grading systems requiring multiple high-bandwidth capture/playout cards
• Broadcast and live production setups that use professional DV I/O cards
• Post-production workstations needing external PCIe expansion for AJA, Blackmagic, or similar cards
• Compact desktops or laptops without internal PCIe slots that require external card connectivity

Key specifications

• Interface: Two independent Thunderbolt interfaces (Thunderbolt 3 compatible, supports Thunderbolt 4 hosts)
• PCIe slots: Two full-height, full-length PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
• Bandwidth: Up to 40 Gbps Thunderbolt; approximately 3000 MB/s PCIe bandwidth with Thunderbolt 4 hosts (approx. 2570 MB/s with Thunderbolt 3 hosts)
• Power: Built-in 400 W power supply with two 75 W auxiliary power connectors
• Cooling: Dual temperature-controlled, variable-speed fans rated for ultra-quiet operation (~17 dBA)
• Construction: Steel housing with silver finish, rackmount-capable design
• Included accessories: Two Thunderbolt cables and two connector retainer clips
• Compatibility: Works with modern macOS, Windows and Linux systems that provide Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 ports and drivers for installed PCIe cards

How to use

Install up to two supported full-length PCIe cards into the enclosure and secure them according to the manual. Connect each Thunderbolt interface to the host computer using the supplied Thunderbolt cables; when maximum throughput is required for both cards, connect each interface to a separate Thunderbolt port on the computer. If the host has only one Thunderbolt port, use the enclosure’s daisy-chain arrangement by connecting the two enclosure interfaces together and then to the computer. Power is provided by the built-in 400 W PSU; the unit powers on and off automatically with the connected computer once properly connected.

Usage recommendations

For best performance with two high-bandwidth capture cards, connect each enclosure Thunderbolt interface to a separate Thunderbolt port on the host computer. Ensure installed PCIe cards have compatible drivers for your operating system and verify the host’s Thunderbolt firmware and OS build meet the listed compatibility requirements before deployment.