Anycubic Kobra S1 — Detailed Review

A fast, fully-enclosed CoreXY printer with auto-bed leveling, silent operation, and expandable multicolor capabilities.

250³ mm Build Core XY Enclosed 320 °C Nozzle Quiet 44 dB Expand with ACE Pro

Overview

The Anycubic Kobra S1 packs a CoreXY, fully enclosed frame into a compact footprint, delivering high speed (up to 600 mm/s) and precision within a 250 × 250 × 250 mm build volume. It features auto bed leveling (LeviQ 3.0), resonance and flow compensation, and a quick-release, anti-clogging hotend reaching up to 320 °C—the printer is virtually ready-to-print out of the box :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}.

Key Specifications

Core Specs

Build Volume: 250 × 250 × 250 mm :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Frame: Fully enclosed Core XY :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Speed: Up to 600 mm/s (300 mm/s recommended) :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Acceleration: Up to 20,000 mm/s² :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Nozzle: 320 °C max, quick-detach; 0.4 mm standard, 0.2–0.8 mm supported :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Bed Temp: Up to 120 °C :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
Noise: Quiet mode ~44 dB :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Features: LeviQ 3.0 auto-level, flow & resonance compensation, filament sensor, built-in camera, app & remote monitoring :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, LAN, color touchscreen :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Strengths & Trade-offs

Strengths	Why It Matters
Exceptional value & build quality	Compact fully-enclosed Core XY design with advanced features for a mid-range price :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
Speed & precision	High print speeds with minimal vibration thanks to advanced tuning and enclosed mechanics :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
Beginner-friendly setup	Minimal assembly and fast calibration—out of box printing in ~10 minutes :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
Expandable multicolor with ACE Pro	Add up to 4 colors (or 8 with dual ACE Pro), plus drying and auto-switching :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Considerations

Dual power requirements: ACE Pro needs its own power supply :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
Slicer limitations: Anycubic’s Kobra OS/Anycubic Slicer may feel less polished for newcomers :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
Minor bugs: Some users note unnecessary filament reloading behavior before prints :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
Material transitions slow: Multicolor printing is slower due to purge cycles :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}

Real-User Feedback

“Build quality seems decent ... door and lid being plastic does make it look and feel a little cheap, but they are still functional… default settings… I had no issues.” :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

TechRadar praised its precision and value: “Outstanding value… high precision… quality multicolour printing.” :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}

Tom’s Hardware noted: “Heated spool holder useful for engineering materials… works very well as single-color printer… slicer flaws keep this printer off our best list.” :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}

Verdict

✅

Buy if you want a fast, accurate, enclosed Core XY printer with expandability for multicolor workflows—without breaking the bank.

Consider alternatives if you need seamless multicolor speed, a top-tier slicer experience, or want to avoid dual power setups.

Specs at a Glance

Category	Detail
Build Volume	250 × 250 × 250 mm
Speed & Acceleration	Up to 600 mm/s, 20,000 mm/s²
Hotend/Bed Temps	320 °C / 120 °C
Noise Level	~44 dB Quiet Mode
Filament	PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, ASA
Features	LeviQ 3.0 leveling, compensation systems, camera, touchscreen, Wi-Fi/LAN/USB
Multicolor Expandability	ACE Pro unit: up to 8 colors