Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo
- Price
- $499
- Score
- 8.2/10
- Wins
- 2/5
Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Tied at 8.2 out of 10.
- Near-same build volume (256³ vs 250×250×260 mm, 1.03×).
- The Kobra S1 Combo is faster (600 ÷ 500 = 1.2×) for $200 ($499 − $299) more.
- Pick the Centauri Carbon unless print time is your bottleneck.
Specs and US prices from the PrintPick catalog, checked 2026-09-29. Scores are PrintPick ratings out of 10.
This page compares the original Elegoo Centauri Carbon. Looking for the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo? See Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo vs Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon
- Price
- $299
- Score
- 8.2/10
- Wins
- 1/5
The verdict
Tied at 8.2/10. Buy the Centauri Carbon, $200 less.
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 S1 ComboAnycubic · FDM
vsCentauri CarbonElegoo · FDM
| Kobra S1 Combo | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $499 | Price | $299 (wins) |
| 16.3 L | Build volume | 16.8 L (wins) |
| 600 mm/s (wins) | Top speed | 500 mm/s |
| 0.05 mm (wins) | Finest layer | 0.1 mm |
| 12.5 kg | Weight | 17.5 kg |
Features
| Kobra S1 Combo | Feature | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 8-color ACE Pro 2 multi-color system | No |
| Yes | CoreXY architecture | No |
| Yes | Auto bed leveling | No |
| Yes | WiFi + camera monitoring | No |
| Yes | Direct drive extruder | No |
| Yes | PEI spring steel build plate | 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
$499 ÷ 16.3 L and $299 ÷ 16.8 L. Lower is more printer for the money.
| Kobra S1 Combo | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| $30.71 | $ per liter | $17.82 (wins) |
| $0.83 | $ per mm/s | $0.60 (wins) |
Scores out of 10
| Kobra S1 Combo | Spec | Centauri Carbon |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Value | 10 (wins) |
| 8 | Beginner Friendliness | 8 |
| 8 | Print Quality | 8 |
| 9 (wins) | Speed | 8 |
| 8 (wins) | Reliability | 7 |
| 8.2 | Overall | 8.2 |
Build space, front view, to one scale
- 250 × 250 × 260 mm
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
What owners say
8 colors out of the box changes the game. My multi-color prints are finally as detailed as I imagined them.
Kobra S1 Combo owner, r/3DprintingThe ACE Pro 2 is a massive improvement. Less waste, more reliable color swaps, and double the colors.
Kobra S1 Combo owner, Teaching Tech (YouTube)Anycubic's answer to Bambu's multi-color dominance. Competitive on every front.
Kobra S1 Combo owner, All3DPThere'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 S1 Combo
- +8 colors out of the box, double what the Bambu A1 Combo offers
- +CoreXY speed at a competitive price point
- +ACE Pro 2 wastes less filament on color swaps than its predecessor
- −Anycubic's software is solid but still behind Bambu Studio
- −Community is smaller than Bambu or Creality
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 S1 Combo better than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
They tie at 8.2/10. The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo suits multi-color and speed, while the Elegoo Centauri Carbon is aimed at budget and enclosed.
Which is better for beginners, Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo or Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
Both score 8/10 for beginners. Go with the Elegoo Centauri Carbon to save $200.
Is the Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo worth $200 more than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
The Elegoo Centauri Carbon actually scores higher (8.2/10) despite costing $200 less. The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo only makes sense if you specifically need multi-color.
What's the main difference between Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo and Elegoo Centauri Carbon?
Build volume (250x250x260mm vs 256x256x256mm) and print speed (600 vs 500 mm/s). The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo is best for multi-color; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon targets budget.