Anycubic Kobra 2 MaxDiscontinued
- Price
- $399
- Score
- 7/10
- Wins
- 0/5
Last recorded price, not a current one.
Anycubic Kobra 2 Max vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- The Elegoo Centauri Carbon wins, 8.2 vs 7 out of 10.
- Kobra 2 Max prints 5.3× the volume (420×420×500 ÷ 256³ = 5.26) for $100 ($399 − $299) more.
- Same 500 mm/s top speed.
- Pick the Centauri Carbon if your prints fit in 25.6 cm.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Price
- $299
- Score
- 8.2/10
- Wins
- 4/5
The verdict
Buy the Centauri Carbon.
8.2/10 vs Kobra 2 Max's 7/10, and it wins 4 of 5 categories. Best value in 3D printing right now, full stop. Firmware is rough around the edges but nothing that kills the deal. If this is your budget, buy it.
Specs, side by side
Teal wins the row.
Kobra 2 MaxAnycubic · FDM
vsCentauri CarbonElegoo · FDM
| Kobra 2 Max | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $399 | Price | $299 (wins) |
| 88.2 L (wins) | Build volume | 16.8 L |
| 500 mm/s | Top speed | 500 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm (wins) | Finest layer | 0.1 mm |
| 20.5 kg | Weight | 17.5 kg |
Features
| Kobra 2 Max | Feature | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 420x420x500mm build | No |
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | No |
| Yes | Direct drive | No |
| Yes | PEI build plate | No |
| Yes | WiFi | No |
| No | Enclosed CoreXY | Yes |
| No | Auto bed leveling (4 pressure sensors) | Yes |
| No | Chamber camera monitoring | Yes |
| No | 320C all-metal hotend | Yes |
| No | Pre-assembled and calibrated | Yes |
| No | Steel + aluminum + glass enclosure | Yes |
Value math
$399 ÷ 88.2 L and $299 ÷ 16.8 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| Kobra 2 Max | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $4.52 (wins) | $ per liter | $17.82 |
| $0.80 | $ per mm/s | $0.60 (wins) |
Scores out of 10
| Kobra 2 Max | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Value | 10 (wins) |
| 5 | Beginner Friendliness | 8 (wins) |
| 7 | Print Quality | 8 (wins) |
| 7 | Speed | 8 (wins) |
| 7 | Reliability | 7 |
| 7 | Overall | 8.2 (wins) |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 420 × 420 × 500 mm
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
What owners say
420mm bed for $399. Anycubic has cracked the large-format budget code.
Kobra 2 Max owner, r/cosplayPrinted a full set of armor gauntlets in one run. These huge-bed printers change what's possible.
Kobra 2 Max owner, r/3DprintingThere's no reason to buy anything else at this price. It would be excellent at twice the cost.
Centauri Carbon owner, How-To GeekFinally an affordable CoreXY. The Centauri Carbon changes what you should expect for under $300.
Centauri Carbon owner, Tom's HardwareBuy two of these instead of one fancier printer at twice the price. Seriously.
Centauri Carbon owner, r/3Dprinting
Pros & Cons
Kobra 2 Max
- +420x420x500mm for $399 is the largest bed you'll find at this budget
- +Direct drive at this scale handles flexible filament when needed
- +WiFi means you're not walking over with a USB stick for every job
- −Open frame on a 420mm heated bed means serious adhesion prep is mandatory
- −Full bed heating at this size takes 10+ minutes to reach temp
Centauri Carbon
- +Enclosed CoreXY at $299. Yes, really.
- +PLA, PETG, ABS: all print well out of the box
- +Pre-assembled, printing within minutes of opening the box
- −Firmware needs attention after unboxing
- −Heat creep shows up on long prints above 270C
Buy these with it
A printer does nothing without these. Grab them in the same order.
- ELEGOO PLA filament, 1kgThe easy filament to start on. Prints at low temperatures and warps less.
- ELEGOO PETG filament, 1kgTougher and more heat tolerant than PLA, for parts that get handled or sit in the sun.
- SUNLU filament dryer S1 PlusWet filament causes stringing and rough surfaces. A dryer fixes that before you blame the printer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Anycubic Kobra 2 Max better than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
By the numbers, the Elegoo Centauri Carbon scores higher (8.2/10). But "better" depends on your use case, the Anycubic Kobra 2 Max may be the smarter buy if you need large-prints.
Which is better for beginners, Anycubic Kobra 2 Max or Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon is more beginner-friendly (8/10 vs 5/10) with easier setup and a gentler learning curve.
Is the Anycubic Kobra 2 Max worth $100 more than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon actually scores higher (8.2/10) despite costing $100 less. The Anycubic Kobra 2 Max only makes sense if you specifically need large-prints.
What's the main difference between Anycubic Kobra 2 Max and Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
Build volume (420x420x500mm vs 256x256x256mm) and print speed (500 vs 500 mm/s). The Anycubic Kobra 2 Max is best for large-prints; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon targets budget.