The Kobra 3 Combo is the most direct competitor to the Bambu A1 Combo at a lower price point. It bundles Anycubic’s ACE Pro four-color system with a CoreXY printer in the 250mm range. The argument for it over the Bambu is straightforward: you get a larger build plate, more filament slots in the base configuration, and a lower price. The argument against: Bambu’s software and ecosystem are more mature, and multicolor print profiles require more manual setup on the Kobra.
What It Does Well
The ACE Pro system is mechanically comparable to Bambu’s AMS Lite. It handles four-spool filament management, automatic feed/retract on spool changes, and humidity sensing. For PLA multicolor prints — figurines, models, decorative items — it delivers results equivalent to Bambu at this price tier.
The 250×250mm build plate is a meaningful size advantage over the Bambu A1 Mini Combo and matches the A1 Combo. At 600mm/s CoreXY, print times are fast enough that multicolor jobs (which inherently take longer due to purge) remain practical.
LeviQ 3.0 automatic leveling is reliable. First layer consistency is good after the initial calibration run.
Where It Falls Short
No enclosure means multicolor printing is effectively limited to PLA and Silk PLA. PETG multicolor works but stringing and ooze during color changes leave more waste in the purge tower. ABS multicolor is not practical — the material warps on the open frame before the color-change overhead makes it worthwhile.
Anycubic’s slicer software (Anycubic Slicer) lags behind Bambu Studio and PrusaSlicer in multicolor workflow features. Multi-material purging parameters require more manual tuning to minimize waste without losing color separation.
The ACE Pro has fewer filament monitoring sensors than Bambu’s full AMS — runout detection works, but material type detection is absent.
Materials for Multicolor Use
PLA and PLA+: Optimal for multicolor. Run 215–220°C nozzle, 60°C bed. Purge tower volume: 50–80mm³ per color change is sufficient for clean transitions.
Silk PLA: Works well multicolor. Slightly higher temperature (220–225°C) than matte PLA. The sheen shows color transitions dramatically.
PETG: Single-color PETG is reliable. Multicolor PETG increases stringing during purge — raise retraction to 1mm direct drive and reduce travel speed. Results are acceptable but not clean.
TPU: Direct drive handles it single-color. Not practical in the ACE Pro multicolor system due to the flexibility causing feed issues in the multi-spool path.
vs. the Competition
Bambu A1 Combo ($559): Better software, more polished color change workflow, smaller build plate (256mm), higher price. If software maturity matters, pay more for Bambu.
Kobra 3 (solo, $299): Same printer without the ACE Pro. If you don’t print multicolor, the solo version saves $100 and leaves room to add the ACE Pro later.