CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt Dock

My Fellow Stacs Nguyen say This dock is everything!.

This thing is pricey, but PERFECT.
Please continue reading to get the full scoop.
I'm a film student at Chapman and was recommended to get a MacBook Pro.
I learned immediately that I needed a hub. I tried many of the USB-C hubs and they're equally terrible because only one to two of the ports will work. And nearly nothing is working if you are exporting 4K onto an editing monitor. From the $100+ to the $30 hubs the limitations are painful if you are importing your RAW photos or media and trying to use the display.
I asked around and was told to find something that could fully utilize Thunderbolt 3. HUH?
So USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 are different, and what I needed for content creation was a Thunderbolt 3 dock.
The Wirecutter recommended the CalDigit TS3 Plus, and since they're the Wirecutter they can't be wrong.
CalDigit's TS3 Plus arrived in a few days from Amazon and I was ready to get some work done.
My current setup is a Dell 27" 4K display, and a ton of storage. I have a SanDisk SATA SSD that is plugged into the Type-C port (really fast), and back things up again on an external Seagate 8TB (really slow, but this thing is a workhorse).
I film and take photos with a Sony A7iii and use the SD card slot for end of the day dumps.
That's a lot of stuff plugged into this thing, and all of it WORKS.
Last night a classmate came by with an USB flash drive, and I just popped it in one of the rear ports.
The Optical Audio allows me to set up a nice 5.1 sound system, but it proved even more important this morning when someone brought over their DAC.
It has been only two days, and I already feel like this is one of the best investments I have made.
My only gripe is that the power brick is kinda bulky, but I can live with that since it does the full 85watt charging to my MacBook.
Which means I have a spare charger!
You know they cost like $100 in the Apple store, right??

My Fellow Kevin Nicholls said Your ThinkPad will thank you..

I was really on the fence with this dock. I've used the genuine Lenovo Thunderbolt dock, the Lenovo Graphics Dock, an HP Omen Graphics Accelerator, and the Plugable Thunderbolt 3 dock on my Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga X1 (3rd generation), and each dock seemed to have some kind of quirk. Whether it was the strange freezing that docks with graphics cards seem to suffer from, not charging properly, or ports not being recognized.

This dock is an absolute dream. Plug it in, tell Windows 10 that it's authorized, and you're off. No freezing. No performance hit. No USB devices dropping and reconnecting. No rebooting. No crashing when plugged / unplugged. It charges, it doesn't get very warm, and it has gobs of ports, so I don't even need to keep my USB hub around anymore.

Even the DAC is pretty decent. I'm not ready to give up my beloved Dragonfly Red, but it drives my Shure 1540's just fine.

Yeah, this dock costs a bit more than other Thunderbolt 3 docks, but the pure ease of use makes it so worth the money. Not to mention, the construction is absolutely top-notch, and the dock itself is so small, it easily tucks away under my laptop stand.

If you have a laptop with Thunderbolt 3, this is the dock you've been looking for.

My Buddy hh experience A well made dock, perfect for a Dell XPS13.

I'm very impressed with the size and capability of this unit as I have it connected. All USB ports are occupied with a monitor connected to the DisplayPort connection and a soundbar hooked up with the optical connection. My XPS13 is working and charging perfectly. I have not had a single issue over the last week and like the quality, size and build of this dock. Beefy power supply. Highly recommended.

7/23: I had an issue where upon plugging in the dock, I would get the blue screen of death due to hardware conflicts. Trial and error (and some guidance from CalDigit as to where to start investigating) narrowed it down to a strange BIOS update that came via the support app. If anyone else with an XPS13 9370 is having issues since mid-June 2018 they should ensure their BIOS did not 'upgrade' to version 1.4.x. Current version is 1.1.3 (7/24/18) and once I had reflashed back, no issues.

UPDATE: 01/15/2019 - This unit is working flawlessly still, and has happily recognized (and passed through) all peripheral devices I have connected. I must have at least 400+ hours with not a single issue, hiccup - nothing.

My Buddy jay experience Fantastic port replicator, lets you do ANYTHING, compensates for poor Macbook Pro design.

Apple really screwed up the Macbook Pro 13" design by providing only two Thunderbolt ports and no other ports at all. That's fine if you use your Macbook as a toy but if you are using it for work, you need monitors and peripherals and while "anything" can be plugged in to the Thunderbolt ports, that can only be two at a time. If you have two external monitors you can't even plug in the charger!

I did a lot of research on port replicators for this laptop and there are very very few available that do a proper job. I wish I stuck with Dell. But I digress. In the end I chose this Caltech dock and I'm very happy. I can just plug in one Thunderbolt cable to my laptop, and I instantly have access to two external 1900x1600 Dell monitors, one of them turned sideways (the dock supports up to 4k with two monitors), my wonderful Cherry MX USB keyboard, my teleconferencing headset, a charging cable for the magic mouse and a bunch of other USB nicknacks. The dock has its own power pack and supplies power to the laptop so I can keep the laptop's own charger at a different location.

Most important though is 2 monitors + power. None of the cheaper docks allow you to do this with the 13" Macbook Pro (unless you have the more expensive Macbook with 4 Thunderbolt ports).

This dock is expensive, but not more expensive than the very few comparable ones and it seems to be the best one.

With this dock I was able to re-use most of my existing cables and only had to buy one expensive special cable. The dock came with the dock-to-laptop cable. I could use my existing DP-to-DP cable for one of the monitors. For the other one I had to buy a Thunderbolt-to-DP cable. The dock has separate microphone and headphone jacks, which happens to be what my headset needs as opposed to the cellphone-style 4-tip single socket that the Macbook has. The dock has LOTS of USB ports, which made me very happy. I do not need any external USB hub.

It's such a nice dock, I wish I could buy another one for the other location I use my laptop. But I only have one monitor there, so there are much cheaper alternatives. The high price is the only thing I don't like about this dock.

FYI Apple does not do NEARLY as nice a job as Windows at remembering hardware configurations. Every time I re-dock I have to re-configure the monitor arrangement and re-select the Caltech audio device. That's not Caltech's fault, it just does not seem Apple was meant for serious work users.

My Old Neighbor MGHimages Talk Lots of bang for lots of buck..

This dock has amply met all my needs. After hours and hours of research, this dock is the best on the market for my needs. PROS:
* UHS II SD card slot - As a pro photographer, this was the deal maker.
* Small footprint, and lightweight. - I've attached velcro to the top, and mounted it underneath my desk surface.
Lower on the list of priorities, but equally important...
* 85 watts charging - Not pass-thru, or lower wattage like many cheaper docks.
* USB 3.1 A & C ports - All USB ports are latest standard in lieu of a mix of 2 and/or 3, and 3.1 standards.
* 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports - One to connect to Mac, one to connect TB3 devices, such as external monitors (up to 5K).
* Ethernet, and more.
* ONE CABLE CONNECTION to my MacBook - My MacBook is used both at the office, and at home. It's nice to just set it on the desk, plug in one cable, and I'm good to go.

I've been using it for a couple months, and it has worked flawlessly. There are too many docks on the market that create bottle necks in data flow by not using top spec hardware. Not CalDigit...for the most part...

CONS:
I use a Samsung T3 external SSD, and have experienced mixed transfer speeds. See pictures.
I am using a Thunderbolt certified 18" cable. (potential 40GB/s)
Connected directly to the Mac's Thunderbolt 3 port, the W/R speeds are 400MB/s.
Connected to the CalDigit TS3's rear Thunderbolt 3 port, the W/R speeds are 352/388MB/s.
Connected the TS3's front USB C port, the W/R speeds are 252/314MB/s.
So, there is a bottleneck in there somewhere. Maybe CalDigit has/will issue a firmware update that will improve these W/R speeds.
Just one other con...it's expensive. $300 is definitely a competitive price for what CalDigit has poured into this small-ish dock. But, the price may have some looking to save some money with a less expensive charging pass-thru model.

Overall, I'm very happy. But the price and transfer speeds cost this unit 1 star.

My Fellow Adam Chandler said The Port-Less MacBook Pro is now Tolerable.

This dock has been issue free for a month. I arrive at work plug in a single Thunderbolt cable into my MacBook Pro on a VESA floating arm and all of my peripherals including my 24" 4K display come to life. I have Ethernet from my work network, USB, Headphones, display, power and even an SD slot all coming to life without any hiccups. When its' time to go to a meeting, I can unplug and 3-5 seconds later the MacBook Pro is ready to sit in a meeting with me for a few hours for note-taking. I've never had to power-cycle this dock or re-seat connections. It just works every single day for 8+ hours a day without fail. Of course, I wish it was smaller to come with me on trips but this will live-on at my desk and I hope for many years of benefits from this dock.

My Old Neighbor Glenn experience Sturdy. Period..

I have been through (easily) 6 USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 hubs and docs in the past year. I swap every morning and evning between two computers one provided by my employer and my own. They are both Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pros. Nothing has stacked up to meet my needs. Ive tried 'Side Car' style devices like HyperDrive and they cant handle a hard shell computer case like my personal laptop has not to mention the fact that the soldier joints on the connectors wear out over time. Ive tried unpowered dongle style devices like the devices branded by Lenovo, StarTech and Belkin but Some over heated after about 7hrs use (a work day is 8, then add any overtime or side project stuff), some had bad connectivity or detection problems, others had too few ports and eventually wore out their connectors. I realized quickly that HDMI output seemed to be what was causing my monitor detection/connection issues... So it became clear my needs were best thought of as follows:

1. Needs its own power (connection/detection should be faster + better drain for USB peripherals).
2. Needs a detachable Cable (replacing the cable as it gets worn is better than the whole device, both from a cost and waste perspective).
3. Needs to not overheat.
4. Should have TB Daisy chain capability.
5. Must work on Windows.

Nice to have:
1. 'Silent' fan.
2. Visual Indicator (power light).
3. Audio In/Out.
4. SD Card Slot.

This device meets every one of those requirements.

It has its own AC/DC Input for Power, The cable is replaceable (though you MUST use a super high quality (not cheap) cable the MFG sells them but i found the normal Apple one from my AC/DC power brick worked just fine), It gets hot, but doesnt overheat and has a thunderbolt out on the back that seems to work full speed. While it doesn't have a 'silent fan' it surpasses that requirement by simply not needing one, the whole of the aluminum body is itself a heat guide and sync. It has a blue LED Power light as well as front audio ports and SD card slot.

Last 'Must Have' that i took to highlight on its own: It works with Windows, as well as Mac and Linux. It utilizes standard protocols that makes drivers not necessary, but they are helpful. The utility programs for Mac and Windows allow some control over the device via software and are worth review even if they are 'extra'.

On the price point whilst 300$ was a bit steep this was one of those cases where I feel the headaches i saved myself were well worth it, and in the end i spent far more than that on devices before i went this route.

If i had one complaint, the 'spin up' (detection, connection, actualization) of devices is a touch slow, but that is only upon initial connection... and is maybe 20secs slower than the other devices I've used. Overall however that is a very small complaint that is hardly worth mentioning, but if your use-case requires almost instant actualization when you plug the device in, you might have to evaluate if this will work for your needs.

My friend M. Hullberg said Every port you ever wanted for your Mac.

Top of the line all the way. Glad I waited for the "plus" model to come out because it has everything on my list and performs flawlessly with my 2016 MBP Pro. I was looking for something with a better camera memory slot, lots of USB for all these spare hard drives I swap around between Mac and Windows. Most importantly I needed great sound hooked up to my receiver. After Apple ditched the TOS headphone jack I have been looking for a replacement and while it is a bit pricey and I have a longer cord I already bought it has been well worth the wait.

My Old Fellow Chris Barber said THIS DOCK IS AMAZING.

This is mother of all docks. It's simply amazing. It has tons of ports. It has incredible compatibility. It drives my dual external monitors, my USB webcam, an external USB hard drive, an USB hub, ethernet, audio, SD card reader, and CHARGED MY LAPTOP at the same time. That's killer. You could spend $79 on a charger, $19 on a USB-C charging cable, $69 on a USB-C AV adapter, $19 on at least one USB-C to USB adapter, $35 on a USB-C to ethernet adapter, and then you'd be at $221 and you still wouldn't have SD card reader, optical audio, or a bunch of extra USB ports. This is a no brainer.

My friend Kyle tell us Beefy and amazing feeling dock, with a few bugs..

I have been looking for a perfect one cable solution for my HP Spectre X360, with the i7 8705G processor (the amd/intel one with 150W of power draw) to support two monitors in 1440p 144hz and this is near perfection. There are almost no flaws at all with this, except 3 which I will mention later. If you won't read any further than this however, this is where you should stop on your thunderbolt searching journey if you have unlimited cash to spare on your quest for a one cable docking solution (without an egpu).

Firstly, the design of this is just beautiful. Its space grey with a beefy feeling chassis, and has an insane amount of ports (which I have somehow managed to fill up all of...) I have attached a few images showing how I filled them, including use for a usb mic, AUX cable to audio switcher for my headphones and speakers, mouse, RGB mousepad, keyboard, ethernet cable, thunderbolt -> DP monitor, DP -> DP monitor, thunderbolt power, and thunderbolt port to my laptop. (apologies for the cable management, its the best I can do with my current situation).

Secondly, this powers my entire setup amazingly. Everything I plug in works and its a real centerpiece whenever I show people around my room - it powers my 2 1440p 144hz monitors great.

Now for the flaws, of which there are 3 minor ones:
1) The dock does not provide enough power to charge my HP Spectre X360 with enough battery. Despite having 87W of power delivery, this dock can not sufficiently meet the power draw demands of my i7 8705G processor which came with a 150W power brick, which means unfortunately my system is not a truly 1 cable solution. (I need to plug in the thunderbolt cable and power cable to keep my laptop charged and setup running.) The laptop will say it is charging, however over time it will decrease in battery rather than increase in it.

2) (THE MAIN REASON THIS HAS 4 STARS NOT 5) There seems to be a bandwidth allocation issue or a faulty USB port, as sometimes when I boot up my computer and plug in the thunderbolt cable, my mouse won't turn on. It occurs in the left most usb port on the top row of usb ports, and I need to restart my laptop to get it working again. During one trial when I switched the cable out during one of these 'dead periods' the new peripheral I plugged in also stopped working in that port, but the mouse worked in the port I had unplugged the new peripheral from. I'm hedging my bets on the idea that the thunderbolt controller just has some issues in distributing bandwidth to each peripheral and for some reason chooses my mouse as the one to not receive any juice on some random days.

3) (This may be a dealbreaker to some) I noticed there is a considerable drop in gamma quality on both of my monitors. When plugged directly into my laptop, both my monitors have extremely accurate gamma and color accuracy - however when I plug them into the CalDigit dock, I notice there is some issues in coloration. The gamma is slightly off, and the colors are thrown off quite a bit. No matter how much calibration can bring them to their original quality when plugged directly to my laptop, so I'm assuming some signal degradation is happening or bandwidth limitations. I'm a part time graphic designer so this is slightly annoying.

All in all, if none of my 3 issues are real dealbreakers to you, e.g. you have a laptop that doesn't have the insane power draw requirements I do, don't use all of your ports, and don't need super good color accuracy this is it. Drop the 300 dollars on this dock and call it a day, because you'll get one of the best docks in the market right now. Hook this baby up with an EGPU with an IN and OUT thunderbolt port and you got yourself an amazing gaming setup with just one cable, and you definitely won't be disappointed.