Choose the Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo family if you want drying built into the color feeder and a higher rated speed. Choose the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo if a hardened steel nozzle and a 350 °C ceiling matter for the filament you plan to run. Both are fully enclosed CoreXY printers with a four-color feeder in the box and a build volume of about 250 mm per side. Anycubic also sells a newer Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo, so check which Anycubic bundle you are actually comparing.

Every figure here comes from Anycubic’s and Elegoo’s own US store pages and the Elegoo Wiki, checked October 19, 2026. Speed and noise numbers are each maker’s claims, not measurements. For single-printer detail, see our Kobra S1 Combo review and Centauri Carbon 2 Combo review .

The printers on the makers’ spec pages

Spec Kobra S1 Combo (ACE Pro) Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo
Build volume 250 × 250 × 250 mm 250 × 250 × 250 mm 256 × 256 × 256 mm
Color system ACE Pro, 4 colors (8 with a second unit) ACE 2 Pro, 4 colors, expandable to 16 CANVAS, 4 colors
Drying in the color unit Up to 55 °C, while printing Up to 65 °C, while printing Not described on the pages checked
Max nozzle temperature 320 °C 320 °C 350 °C
Nozzle material Not listed as hardened Not listed as hardened Hardened steel
Max bed temperature 120 °C 120 °C 110 °C
Max speed (recommended) 600 mm/s (300 mm/s) 600 mm/s (300 mm/s) 500 mm/s
Max acceleration 20,000 mm/s² 20,000 mm/s² Not listed on the pages checked
Noise claim 46 dB standard, 44 dB quiet mode 46 dB standard, 44 dB quiet mode; ACE 2 Pro 48 dB, 55 dB while drying Under 45 dB
Camera HD camera, 480p HD camera, 480p Built in with the Combo
Touchscreen 4.3-inch 4.3-inch Touchscreen (size not listed)
Slicer Anycubic Slicer Next (Orca-based), Anycubic app Anycubic Slicer Next (Orca-based), Anycubic app Elegoo Slicer, Matrix app
Weight 18 kg printer, 4.6 kg ACE Pro 18 kg printer, 3.7 kg ACE 2 Pro Not listed on the pages checked

Multicolor: what each feeder adds

All three packages feed four filaments to a single nozzle, so a color change means swapping and purging, not switching toolheads. Neither Anycubic nor Elegoo publishes a matched purge-waste figure, so treat any claim about which wastes less as unverified.

  • Drying. The Anycubic feeders are also filament dryers. Anycubic lists active drying while printing up to 55 °C for the ACE Pro and up to 65 °C for the ACE 2 Pro, and says the ACE 2 Pro runs at 48 dB with the door closed and 55 dB with drying enabled, measured by Anycubic. The Elegoo CANVAS materials checked describe RFID recognition, auto-refill and tangle detection. If you want to dry separately, our AMS vs filament dryer guide covers the stand-alone route.
  • Growth. Anycubic sells the ACE Pro bundle in 4- and 8-color versions, and the ACE 2 Pro goes to 16 colors with four units. Anycubic notes the first- and second-generation systems can’t be used at the same time. The Elegoo pages checked describe a single four-filament CANVAS.
  • TPU. Anycubic says TPU must be fed directly into the printer, not through either ACE. Elegoo’s wiki has a separate guide for installing a TPU adapter to print TPU on CANVAS models.
  • Bench space. The Elegoo review we link above notes that the four side spools and tubes need bench clearance, and Anycubic lists the ACE Pro at 366 × 283 × 235 mm and the ACE 2 Pro at 368 × 292 × 237 mm. Draw the footprint before you buy either.

Nozzle and materials

Elegoo lists 350 °C for the Centauri Carbon 2 series and describes a hardened steel nozzle, which is the better starting point for carbon-fiber and glass-filled filament. Anycubic lists a 320 °C tools-free quick-release hotend with a ceramic composite throat and does not describe the nozzle as hardened, so abrasive filament means budgeting for a hardened nozzle. Anycubic lists a 120 °C bed against Elegoo’s 110 °C, which helps ABS and ASA slightly. Neither maker’s spec page lists active chamber heating, and a higher number on the sheet doesn’t guarantee a filament prints well.

Speed and noise claims

Anycubic quotes a 600 mm/s maximum with 300 mm/s recommended and 20,000 mm/s² acceleration. Elegoo quotes a 500 mm/s maximum for the Centauri Carbon 2 series and no acceleration figure on the pages checked. These are motion ceilings, not print-time forecasts, and neither maker publishes a matched benchmark job. Anycubic quotes 44 to 46 dB and Elegoo quotes under 45 dB, both under the makers’ own test conditions.

Watch the model names

Both brands sell near-identical names, and the differences matter at checkout.

  • Anycubic: the Kobra S1 Combo (ACE Pro), the Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo, and the much larger Kobra S1 Max Combo (350 mm class) are three different products. Anycubic’s store also lists a refurbished Kobra S1 Combo.
  • Elegoo: only the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo includes the enclosure, camera, lighting, chamber thermistor and CANVAS together. The Centauri 2 Combo has CANVAS but lists the enclosure and camera as optional add-ons.

Which should you buy?

Choose the Kobra S1 Combo family if:

  • you want filament drying in the feeder rather than buying a separate dryer
  • you may want 8 or 16 colors later, which the ACE 2 Pro bundle is built for (search link)
  • the 120 °C bed and higher rated speed matter to you
  • 320 °C is enough and you won’t print abrasive filament

The original Kobra S1 Combo is the older bundle. Anycubic now also sells the ACE 2 Pro bundle and a refurbished Kobra S1 Combo, so compare them before deciding.

Choose the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo (search link) if:

  • you plan to print carbon-fiber or other abrasive filament and want a hardened nozzle from the start
  • a 350 °C ceiling is a requirement
  • four colors are enough and you would dry filament separately

When we checked on October 19, 2026, the Amazon listing this site tracks for the Elegoo Combo showed as currently unavailable, so confirm stock on Amazon or at Elegoo’s US store first. If you’re also considering Bambu’s multicolor printer, see Centauri Carbon 2 Combo vs Bambu Lab P2S Combo , and for the Kobra S1 against Bambu’s enclosed P1S see Kobra S1 vs P1S . The wider field is in our best multicolor 3D printers guide .

FAQ

Which dries filament, the Kobra S1 Combo or the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo?

The Kobra S1 Combo. Anycubic’s ACE Pro supports active drying up to 55 °C while printing, and the newer ACE 2 Pro lists drying up to 65 °C. The Elegoo materials checked describe CANVAS as a feeder with RFID recognition, auto-refill and tangle detection, not a dryer.

Which has the higher nozzle temperature?

The Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. Elegoo lists 350 °C and a hardened steel nozzle, while Anycubic lists a 320 °C hotend for the Kobra S1 family.

Is the Kobra S1 ACE 2 Pro Combo the same as the Kobra S1 Combo?

No. It pairs the same Kobra S1 printer with the newer ACE 2 Pro, which expands to 16 colors and dries at up to 65 °C. Anycubic notes that the first- and second-generation color systems cannot be used at the same time.

Can either multicolor feeder handle TPU?

Not for multicolor feeding. Anycubic says TPU must be fed directly into the printer and is not compatible with ACE Pro or ACE 2 Pro feeding. Elegoo’s wiki has a separate guide for installing a TPU adapter to print TPU on CANVAS models.

Sources