The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo is one of those 3D printers that looks extremely impressive on paper—and, for the most part, it delivers on that promise. With a CoreXY design, enclosed build chamber, high-speed printing, automatic calibration, and the ACE Pro multi-filament system, it offers a lot of functionality without reaching the price levels of many high-end multi-color printers.
Design and Build Quality
The Kobra S1 has a compact, enclosed design that feels considerably more refined than some of Anycubic’s older machines. Its 250 × 250 × 250 mm build volume provides enough space for most everyday projects, while the CoreXY motion system is well suited to fast printing.
The printer can reach a claimed maximum speed of 600 mm/s, although real-world printing speeds depend heavily on the model, filament, and quality settings. In practice, the machine’s combination of speed and accuracy is one of its strongest features. Reviews have particularly praised its precision and overall build quality.
The enclosed design is also useful when printing materials such as ABS and ASA, while the 320°C hotend gives the printer compatibility with a broad range of commonly used filaments.
The ACE Pro Multi-Color System
The biggest reason to consider the Combo version is the ACE Pro.
It allows the printer to automatically switch between multiple filament colors or materials during a print. One ACE Pro handles up to four filaments, while the system can be expanded to support up to eight with an additional unit. The ACE Pro also doubles as a filament dryer, which is a genuinely useful feature because moisture can have a major impact on print quality.
Multi-color printing works impressively well when everything is properly configured. You can create colorful models, signs, figures, functional parts, and decorative pieces without manually changing filament throughout the print.
However, there is an important downside: filament waste.
Every time the printer changes colors, it needs to purge the previous filament. On prints with lots of color changes, this can result in a surprisingly large amount of wasted material. This is one of the main compromises of the Kobra S1’s multi-color system, and it should definitely be considered before buying the machine specifically for multi-color printing.
Print Quality
Print quality is one of the Kobra S1’s strongest points.
When properly calibrated, the printer can produce sharp details, clean surfaces, and excellent dimensional accuracy. Single-color printing is particularly impressive, and the high-speed CoreXY system allows you to produce parts much faster than with many traditional Cartesian-style printers.
Multi-color prints can also look excellent, although the additional filament changes make these jobs slower and more wasteful.
The removable hotend design is another nice touch. The standard 0.4 mm nozzle can be swapped for different nozzle sizes, giving users more flexibility depending on whether they prioritize fine detail or faster printing.
Software: The Weak Point
Unfortunately, the experience isn’t perfect.
The hardware is arguably better than the software. Reviews have criticized Anycubic’s slicer, particularly when preparing complex multi-color jobs. Managing filament changes and estimating material usage can be less straightforward than it should be.
This doesn’t make the printer unusable, but it means the Kobra S1 isn’t quite the completely effortless “set it and forget it” experience that its hardware might suggest.
Firmware and software updates have also been a mixed experience for some owners, so keeping the machine on a stable configuration rather than immediately installing every new update can be sensible.
Noise and Everyday Use
For a fast enclosed printer, the Kobra S1 is reasonably quiet. Anycubic rates it at up to 46 dB in standard mode and around 44 dB in quiet mode. It also includes features such as a touchscreen, camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, and app support.
The automatic calibration features make setup considerably easier than older-generation 3D printers, although newcomers should still expect to spend some time learning about filament settings, slicer profiles, bed preparation, and troubleshooting.
Pros
- Excellent print quality
- Fast CoreXY motion system
- 250 × 250 × 250 mm build volume
- Enclosed design
- 320°C hotend
- Automatic multi-color/multi-material printing
- ACE Pro includes filament drying
- Can be expanded to up to eight filaments
- Relatively quiet operation
- Good value for the features offered
Cons
- Multi-color printing can create significant filament waste
- Multi-color prints take considerably longer
- Slicer software could be better
- ACE Pro can occasionally require troubleshooting
- Not completely plug-and-play for inexperienced users
- Some early units have reportedly experienced hardware issues, although later owners have reported good long-term reliability
Final Verdict
The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo is an impressive value proposition for anyone who wants fast, high-quality 3D printing with multi-color capability.
Its biggest strengths are the excellent CoreXY platform, impressive print quality, enclosed design, high-temperature hotend, and the convenience of the ACE Pro system. The integrated filament dryer is an especially useful bonus.
The main drawback is that multi-color printing isn’t as economical or effortless as it initially sounds. Filament waste can become substantial, and Anycubic’s software still has room for improvement. These issues are much less important if you primarily print single-color models.
Overall, the Kobra S1 Combo is best suited to enthusiasts, makers, hobbyists, and creators who want to experiment with multi-color printing without spending a fortune on a professional machine.
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom line: A powerful and feature-packed 3D printer with excellent print quality and impressive multi-color capabilities. It’s not perfect, but for the money, the Kobra S1 Combo offers a compelling combination of speed, quality, and versatility.