CalDigit is a hardware manufacturer and online retailer specializing in Thunderbolt technology, USB-C docking stations, and storage solutions for the content creation industry. Whether you are an individual pursuing your passion on the go or a large creative firm with hundreds of employees, every product is made with you in mind.
At CalDigit, we believe that quality is the first key to creating a better experience. We are vertically integrated in designing, building, and assembling all of our products to ensure that a high level of quality is prevalent throughout. Whether it is our customer service, our designs, or the technology inside them, we believe our users should never have to settle for second best.
There's no mandatory drivers to use our products with any computer (other than Thunderbolt drivers that should be supplied by your computer's manufacturer). You can get additional features with some of our drivers, including with M2.
From a purely bandwidth perspective, this monitor should be supported at 5120x1440@120Hz. In reality, we have seen the G9 family of monitors be a little problematic, and won't always work at the expected resolution or refresh rate. If this is the case for you, try swapping out the Thunderbolt cable connecting the dock and computer, and the video cable connecting the dock and your monitor. Beyond that, our support team would be happy to assist further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Thanks for the feedback! We went back and forth a lot on including an Ethernet or not. We wanted only the essentials on the SOHO and feel that for many, WiFi speeds are fast enough that including Ethernet isn't "essential" for this purpose. With the aid of feedback like yours, we would definitely reconsider that stance on future products.
If I win that thing you will have a stoked couch-streamer who won’t shut up about how awesome CalDigit is for the rest of my life. It will become nauseating for my viewers, that’s how much I won’t shut up about it. 😅
Most likely, yes. Most monitors require a lot more power than the TS4 can provide on its downstream ports. The only exception is in some portable monitors.
You still gotta plug everything every time you’re on the go lol just not to the laptop directly but into the caldigit. Don’t get me wrong I have one and love it but it’s also part of my full desktop set up anyways and I’m considering a second 1 specifically for travel so I don’t ever have to undo my home set up
You're right, and it definitely depends on the particular setup. Some leave everything at home when they take their laptop on the go. Let us know if there's anything we can help with!
My goal is to never miss a day in C-Diggi’s giveaway. J.B.’s voice is now an expected and soothing part of my day! I’m dying to know if the TS4 would facilitate a clean mic signal via the 3.5mm jack. I’ve run into noise problems with other hubs. Thought a proper USB audio interface would solve my problem, but after looking at several brands I’m finding no support for a 4-pole TRRS cable. I’ve kinda solved the problem but it uses 3 adaptors and I can’t keep them permanently setup because one of them I use for other stuff. The TS4 has the combo jack that would accept the TRRS cable, but the line-in maybe will accept the TRS mic cable. This stuff is so gosh darn confusing, AND IM A MUSICIAN FOR JACK’S SAKE! 😭🤣
I have a TS3+ and an Element Hub, and both are fantastic. My only wish from CalDigit would be an Element Hub with built-in GaN power supply. Even if it ended up being 2x or 3x as thick, it would be the perfect travel hub with a removable, replaceable power cord as the only thing poking out from the main body.
Thanks for the feedback! We've been exploring integrating GaN with our products, but the variable power needs of a dock make it a little difficult to implement well. Maybe in a future product!
Great video. Is it ok to leave the dock ON when not connected to a MacBook? There’s no power button and to disconnect from the power I’d have to scramble under the desk
Yes, totally fine. The dock will go into a low-power standby mode when not connected to a computer. On some of our docks, a few USB ports remain active to power connected chargeable devices, but otherwise the dock will pretty much turn off on its own.
Maybe, but we could not say for sure. It will partially depend if the USB-C/ Thunderbolt 4 port on your computer is capable of supporting the Valve Index.
@@shinlxb I do not think that will work. The data speeds over lightning is so slow you would not be able to use the SOHO in a meaningful way. Officially, this is not supported.
@@CalDigitHQ Can we try it out once? Actually, my main goal is to achieve two functions: simultaneous output to TV during live streaming on my iPhone, and audio input
Very informative and succinct. Thanks Jeff. Would you happen to know how well these work with audio interfaces and/or their compatibility with Thunderbolt 2 mini displayport outputs on old Lenovo Thinkpads? I imagine I need an adapter of some kind. Any recommendations you can send my way would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!
Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 should work, but Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 4 will probably run into issue - on the macOS side, Thunderbolt 2 is technically not supported on newer TB4 computers. Unsure about on Windows. You'd want to grab an Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter for this. Audio interfaces should work perfectly fine. Some of our videos are recorded with a microphone plugged into an audio interface that goes into a TS4.
@@CalDigitHQ Aha! Thank you! Had a feeling I would need one of those over-priced apple adapters, as they seem to be the only bidirectional ones sold. Haven't purchased an apple product since ipods where popular. Thank you so much for answering my questions!
@@salmonsandwich3183 No problem. There are other adapters out there, but this is one of those things where there really is a quality and reliability difference.
Yes, it can be! Over a Thunderbolt connection it should work flawlessly. Over USB4, Ethernet may or may not work, and over a USB3 USB-C connection, Ethernet will not work and only one monitor will work.
Is there any public detailed info on the sound card inside the TS3/4? I hope that’s the right term. I was planning to use a USB audio interface but I still trying to find one that will accept a TRRS cable/connector.
I don't know the specifics of the audio chips in our products, but our support team may be able to help. You can reach them via email at Support@CalDigit.com
I’m entering every day! I’ll be honest, I don’t think I deserve to win, but that isn’t going to stop me from entering! The TS3 or TS4 was in one of my dreams! Hahaha 😂 The hub I was given-a Goneo 11-in-1 ‘’docking station”- won’t charge anything connected to it besides my laptop. I’m unplugging things at night and plugging them into their wall plugs! 🤦♂️ Add to that the 3.5mm mic-in that’s vital for my setup creates a CRAZY amount of a noise in my headphones! It’s how I must route the Astro A50’s mic into OBS 😢 PS: I don’t think anyone should be allowed to use the term “Docking Station” in reference to their product unless it can charge the damn things attached to them. Also, ffs, how many listings on various websites say “daaaaaaaaaaaah, ThUnDeRbOlT fOuR CaBlE, daaaaaaaaahhh”!
In my case I'm using a samsung odessy ark gen 1 with only hdmi port. Which configuration would you recommend me? Will it work with the active display port adapter and my already working HDMI cable?
Yes, that's going to be optimal for you. To hit anything about 4k60hz, you're going to want an Active DisplayPort 1.4 to HDMI 2.1 adapter. You'll want to make sure the host computer supports the monitor, though. For example, if you're on a macOS computer, they do not support HDMI 2.1 over Thunderbolt (as in, through a dock); you will be limited down to HDMI 2.0b, which can reach 4k60hz.
@@CalDigitHQ I’m working with a MacBook M3 Max. Would it work if I use the usb-c to hdmi converter. I was hoping to get 120hz. Right now if I connect directly to my Mac I do get the 120hz
Sorry, we haven't tested with one, so I can't say for sure. Looks like this computer uses USB4. The TS4 requires host computers to support PCIe passthrough in order for the Ethernet port to work. PCIe passthrough is a requirement for Thunderbolt, but optional for USB4 computers. Because of this, it's a bit of a toss-up whether this computer will work or not.
The pass-through charging no longer works on my SOHO dock for some reason... Tried everything including changing my power brick and cables but the Pass-through part of my doc died or something. Everything else such as SD card slots and USB-A works though.
With the SOHO Dock? You would need two USB-C cables: one to connect the iPad Pro to the SOHO Dock, and another to connect the SOHO to wall power. Then you'll need to connect to your monitor with HDMI or DP. The SOHO also works without wall power if you don't want to charge the iPad.
@@CalDigitHQ So I need either HDMI or DP to connect it to an external monitor? A USB C from monitor to SOHO > usb c from soho to iPad, wont work for display+power? Like it does if i plug the monitor directly to the iPad
@@davidaalves No, the SOHO has no video enabled USB-C port, so it can't facilitate that connection. The only ports on the SOHO that support a monitor are the DP and HDMI port. For a video supported USB-C port on a dock, you'd want something like our TS3 Plus or TS4.
Can you use a Display port to HDMI cable to connect a monitor? I have my gaming PC using the display port on my monitor. So I need to connect the TS4 to HDMI on my monitor ports. SO I bought a display port cable to hdmi and it dosnt seem to be working. Why is an adapter needed if the cables exsist?
Only an Active DisplayPort to HDMI connection will work - the Active component does the job of digitally changing the video signal from DisplayPort to HDMI, so it is mandatory. Technically cables that fit this criteria also exist. However, we generally recommend getting an adapter over a cable because of simplicity. "Active" in this context of an adapter only means one thing, the above system of converting the digital signals. An "Active" cable can refer to this, but it much more commonly means a very long cable that's actively powered. Active DisplayPort to HDMI adapters also tend to be much more common than the proper Active DisplayPort to HDMI cable.
I have a TS4 but am constantly switching between my PC and Mac. How can I combine them together? Not sure what a KVM is but is that the answer with my TS4? How do I do that?
There's not really a good way to do this currently. KVMs allow you to switch peripherals like keyboards, mice, etc, between multiple computers, which would work, except you need to use a Thunderbolt 4 KVM to retain all the features of the TS4. The only Thunderbolt 4 KVM that is available to consumers is from Sabrent. This can work, however, there's another potential problem. You would connect it like this: both computers plug into the KVM, which plugs into the TS4, then all your devices plug into that. When it comes to Thunderbolt charging, only the first device in a "chain" will charge the computers, so the Sabrent in this case. That only supports up to 60W charging, which could be enough, but it will not charge as fast as the TS4's 98W. This is pretty much the only way to readily accomplish your goals at the moment, so hopefully this helps!
A Single Thunderbolt connection can support up to two monitor connections at once as long as the computer supports its. So, the TS4 can support up to dual monitors
Hi! I am thinking of buying this dock but I have a question. Can I use this dock in bus powered mode with my Lenovo 15APH8 model notebook (which has 10gb/s type c) for extended dual display with two monitors both have 144 hz and 1080p?
This might work, but I can't say for sure.. Dual 1080p144hz is right around the limit of available monitor bandwidth. It might be slightly too high. Dual 1080p120hz should work, though - that is the same effective bandwidth as dual 4k30hz, which is supported by the SOHO Dock.
Is it possible to attach 2x 4K monitor at the back of TS4 (DP and one USB-C->HDMI) and additionally alsp use the hdmi output on the macbook for a 3rd monitor? ( Macbook Pro M2 Max) ?
Yes! This is definitely possible - you can even connect a 4th monitor over Thunderbolt (not connected to the TS4, but a different port works). Here's the tech specs for your computer for reference: support.apple.com/en-us/111838
If everything is already set up, you can find refresh rate in "System Preferences" and then "Displays". Select your monitor, and "Refresh rate" is towards the bottom of the menu. If you can't reach your target refresh rate, there may be something wrong with the connection. In that case, I'd suggest you start by replacing cables. Both the DisplayPort cable and Thunderbolt cable would be good to replace. If the Thunderbolt cable is one of ours and turns out to be at fault, our support team would be happy to replace it. Also, check your monitor's physical settings and check if you have a refresh rate option in there - some monitors can limit refresh rate this way. Beyond that, our support team would be happy to further assist. You can best reach them via email at Support@CalDigit.com
Thank you very much for the helpful information; the concise and kind way it was delivered and the smile on the face of the person delivering the informaiton. It solved my issue.
We sell power supplies on our web shop, but I'm not sure if any will be compatible. This product has been archived for a long time now and we may no longer have stock. I recommend you get in touch with our support team, they'll be able to figure out if we have something available or not. You can best reach them via email at Support@CalDigit.com And here's our web shop: us.caldigit.com/collections/accessories
It shouldn't! The only scenario that it would do this is if you were using other high-bandwidth devices, like an external SSD, and it was saturating the rest of your data. Even then, audio is prioritized over pretty much everything but monitors, so this could only happen if your audio devices were on an audio interface or some other USB device.
Thanks for the feedback! We wanted to go with some of our on-the-go essentials with the SOHO Dock! Maybe our next small form-factor dock will include Ethernet.
@@CalDigitHQ Thank you for the reply. Is there a reason there are no bus-powered Thunderbolt docks from CalDigit? It also would be great to see a small form factor dock that offers a NVMe SSD slot. Then maybe Thunderbolt 3/4 would be needed to supply the necessary throughput.
@@CalDigitHQ Yes, but the cable is not detachable/replaceable and the dock therefore unconcealable. Looking forward to see some innovation in the dock/hub/dongle space.
Second display isn't detected after MacBook back from sleep, guess what caldigit suggested?! Connect ot directly, 😄 i wonder why do ilI need that ts3+ then ?
Was this a permanent suggestion or a test? Testing if the behavior goes away or not when directly connected to the computer can tell us if something with the monitor or monitor's cable is acting up.
@@undead574 I see. I'm not familiar with your particular setup, so can't determine whether the recommendation is appropriate or not. Some dual monitor arrangements aren't tenable from a single Thunderbolt connection with the TS3 Plus, such as any monitor above 4k60hz, or higher refresh rates at lower resolutions, as well as some non-standard resolutions. If this does not sound like you, I recommend you keep working with the support team on this.
@@undead574 The AW34DWF is an ultrawide, right? Looks like the estimated native bandwidth at 3440x1440@100hz is right around what's expected of 4k60hz monitor. If you have HDR turned on, that would likely push you over the bandwidth limit for a single monitor. When a monitor goes over this limit, it has to take another video lane in order to function, which leaves too few lanes for a second monitor to work. In this scenario either monitor could decide not to wake up from sleep based on whichever initializes first. With this in mind, if you have HDR turned on, try turning it off temporarily and see if that helps alleviate this behavior. If it does, you are definitely hitting the bandwidth limit and will have to push the specs of the Alienware monitor down in order to get both monitors functional in this setup. If this is the route of the issue, you could also upgrade to a Thunderbolt 4 dock, which could have enough video bandwidth to support this setup. TB4 is able to utilize DP 1.4, which has better HDR support as well as support for some forms of video compression that the Alienware monitor may be able to take advantage of. Also, are you connecting the monitor over HDMI or DisplayPort? Looks like DP supports up to 165hz. If you are connected over DP, even if you are throttling down refresh rate to 100hz in the OS, the OS still has to recognize and implement that setting, which also often leads to monitor misbehavior. In this case, I'd suggest you connect to the TS3 Plus over HDMI with either a USB-C to HDMI adapter or an Active DP to HDMI adapter. This will hardware lock the refresh rate to 100 max, and can help restore functionality. If you're already on HDMI, this is irrelevant.
If my Dell XPS 9520 has a 130 watt OEM charging cable, will relying on the 98 watts from the TS4 compromise the performance of my laptop in any way? If no, great. If yes, what happens when I have both the TS4 and the OEM charger plugged in concurrently, to separated thunderbolt 4 ports on my laptop?
Whether or not the wattage impacts performance will depend on the laptop itself. I believe on most Windows laptops, performance is not impact. What is more likely to happen is that the 98W charging will not be enough to sustain the computer, so the battery will slowly discharge even while plugged into the TS4. You can plug in both the OEM charger and the TS4. The laptop will accept charging from the OEM charger, and reject it from the TS4, but the TS4 will otherwise work as expected. This is a scenario provisioned for in Power Delivery protocol, which pretty much every modern device and charger utilizes to ensure the safe transmitting of power.
Are you getting link lights on both sides of the Ethernet connection? If not, make sure the cable is properly seated or try an alternative cable. If that doesn't do the trick, try an alternative Thunderbolt cable and see if that helps. Also, power cycle your dock, which you can do by disconnecting it from wall power for 30-45 seconds before plugging it back in Beyond that, our support team can help diagnose and troubleshoot further. You can best get in touch via email at Support@CalDigit.com
@@CalDigitHQ yes ethernet is fine, have power cycled already, it comes with a cable and I don't have another... but it's out of the box... have emailed support but no reply...
@@DavidGerrish I see. Our support team should get back to you soon if they haven't already. Early in the work week response times are a bit slower as the team is catching up from emails coming in over the weekend.
You have to convert it in some way, either with an Active DisplayPort to HDMI adapter, or a USB-C to HDMI adapter. These adapters should still preserve the HDMI signal to the monitor, meaning an HDMI connection will still work.
Sorry to come back again with another question! I now have two Caldigit usb-c to HDMI adapters with both monitors plugged in via HDMI connection, but only one monitor is working with this setup. Help?
@@travdecoop What kind of computer are you using? Some computers, including base level Apple Silicon computers, can only support a single monitor even over a Thunderbolt connection. USB-C connections also only support a single monitor.
My macbook pro charges via magsafe. Will plugging the Element hub into it also charge my computer at the same time, and will that mess up my computer? I just need the extra ports, not a charge through the hub.
The computer will only let one charging source charge the computer at a time, generally favoring the charger that comes with the laptop or another first party charger. In this case, the computer will likely prioritize the magsafe charger, and tell the Element Hub it does not want power. The Element Hub will respect that, but otherwise function as intended.
