TL;DR
The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo is an excellent choice for those looking to enter the world of multicolor printing. It can print up to 4 colors with its ACE Pro system and costs about half the price of a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon + AMS combination. Print quality and speed are quite satisfactory, but the software side is still evolving. Overall Score: 7.8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
One of the best options for budget-friendly multicolor printing.
What's in the Box
The Kobra 3 Combo package consists of two main boxes — one for the printer, the other for the ACE Pro unit:
Printer Box:
- Anycubic Kobra 3 main unit (pre-assembled)
- PEI coated flexible steel print bed
- Power cable and adapter (350W)
- Tool kit (Allen wrench, cutter, spatula)
- USB drive (test files and software)
- Filament sample (white PLA)
- Quick start guide
- Spare nozzle
ACE Pro Box:
- ACE Pro 4-slot multi-material unit
- PTFE connection tubes (4 pcs)
- Couplings and connectors
- ACE Pro power cable
- Filament guide parts
The packaging is of sufficient quality. It's not as premium as Bambu Lab, but everything is protected.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Printing Technology | FDM (CoreXY) |
| Print Volume | 250 x 250 x 260 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s |
| Max Acceleration | 20,000 mm/s² |
| Nozzle Temperature | Up to 300°C |
| Bed Temperature | Up to 110°C |
| Layer Resolution | 0.05 - 0.35 mm |
| Nozzle Diameter | 0.4 mm |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 mm |
| Supported Materials | PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU |
| Extruder Type | Direct Drive |
| Auto Leveling | Yes (LeviQ 3.0 - 60 points) |
| Multicolor Printing | Up to 4 colors with ACE Pro |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Display | 4.3" Touchscreen |
| Frame | Open (optional enclosure) |
| Dimensions | 440 x 435 x 486 mm |
| Weight | ~9.8 kg (excluding ACE Pro) |
Design and Build Quality
The Kobra 3 represents Anycubic's transition to its CoreXY series. The shift from an Ender-style bed-slinger design to CoreXY is a significant improvement in print quality and speed.
Overall Appearance
The design is modern and compact. The black-green color scheme is typical of Anycubic and looks good. The open frame design is fine for PLA and PETG, but ABS printing requires an additional enclosure.
Build Quality
The metal frame is sufficiently sturdy, but it doesn't feel as premium as Bambu Lab or Prusa. The plastic parts are functional but feel a bit cheap in texture. However, the mechanical components (linear rails, belts) are high quality and operate smoothly.
Print Bed
The PEI coated flexible steel print bed is excellent. The magnetic alignment is secure, and you can easily remove prints by bending the bed. PLA adhesion is excellent; a light glue stick is recommended for PETG.
ACE Pro Unit
The 4-slot multi-material system is positioned on the side of the printer. Each slot can feed filament independently. The color-changing mechanism is cleverly designed — it retracts the old filament and advances the new one to switch. Color transitions are clean with a purge tower.
Setup and First Print
Setup Process
- Unbox the printer (3 min)
- Remove shipping screws securing the gantry (2 min)
- Install the print bed (1 min)
- Connect the ACE Pro to the printer with PTFE tubes (5 min)
- Connect power and data cables (2 min)
- Wi-Fi connection and calibration via the screen (8 min)
- First print!
Total setup time: approximately 25-30 minutes. Connecting the ACE Pro takes the most time, but the instructions are clear.
First Print
We started with a single-color Benchy: it finished in 21 minutes with very good quality. Then we printed a multicolor test model — on a 4-color Benchy, the color transitions were clean, and the purge tower worked properly.
Print Quality Tests
PLA Tests (Anycubic PLA+)
- Temperature: 215°C nozzle / 60°C bed
- Speed: 250 mm/s
- Result: PLA print quality is good. At 0.2mm layer height, the surface is smooth, and layer lines are barely visible. It's not as perfect as Bambu Lab, but it's very successful for its price class. Bridging tests are successful up to 50mm.
Multicolor PLA Tests
- Temperature: 215°C nozzle / 60°C bed
- Speed: 200 mm/s (in multicolor mode)
- Result: Color transitions are largely clean in multicolor printing with the ACE Pro. We saw very occasional color bleeding. The purge tower increases material usage, but this is a common issue with all multicolor systems. The results for 4-color models are visually impressive.
PETG Tests
- Temperature: 235°C nozzle / 70°C bed
- Speed: 180 mm/s
- Result: PETG performance is adequate. There is some stringing, but it's manageable. Layer adhesion on mechanical parts is satisfactory.
ABS Tests
- Temperature: 245°C nozzle / 95°C bed
- Speed: 150 mm/s
- Result: The open frame design is a disadvantage for ABS. Small parts are fine, but warping starts on pieces over 10cm. Using an enclosure is highly recommended. Anycubic's optional enclosure kit works well.
TPU Tests (95A)
- Temperature: 225°C nozzle / 50°C bed
- Speed: 50 mm/s
- Result: The direct drive extruder works with TPU, but feeding TPU from the ACE Pro can be problematic. It's safer to use the direct extruder input for TPU. Flexible print results are acceptable.
Speed and Performance
Speed Tests
| Test Model | Standard (50mm/s) | Kobra 3 (250mm/s) | Time Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benchy | ~55 min | ~21 min | 62% faster |
| Calibration Cube | ~25 min | ~10 min | 60% faster |
| 4-Color Benchy | N/A | ~45 min | - |
| Vase Mode (15cm) | ~90 min | ~30 min | 67% faster |
The 600 mm/s claim is for marketing purposes — in practice, you get the best results in the 250-350 mm/s range. Print quality at these speeds is consistent and reliable.
Input Shaping
Input shaping calibration is done automatically with the built-in accelerometer. At 250 mm/s, there is almost no ghosting. At 350 mm/s s is slightly visible.
ACE Pro Color Change Time
Color change takes approximately 15-20 seconds. It's a bit slower than Bambu Lab AMS but acceptable. The impact on total time for multi-color prints varies with model complexity.
Software and Ecosystem
Anycubic Slicer
The Cura-based Anycubic Slicer meets basic functions but is limited in advanced features. It's sufficient for multi-color print settings, but the interface can sometimes be confusing.
OrcaSlicer Compatibility
Good news: It's fully compatible with OrcaSlicer, and community profiles are available. Most advanced users prefer OrcaSlicer — we recommend it too.
Anycubic App
Remote print starting and monitoring is possible with the mobile app. The interface is simple and user-friendly. Camera quality is adequate but not at the level of Bambu Lab's AI detection.
Firmware
Klipper-based firmware is used, but it's not as open as the Creality K1 Max. Root access is possible, but Anycubic doesn't officially support it.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Affordable multi-color printing (including ACE Pro)
- Good speed performance
- Consistent quality with CoreXY kinematics
- OrcaSlicer compatibility
- Easy setup
- PEI sheet provides excellent adhesion
- 4-color support
- Direct drive extruder
❌ Cons
- Insufficient for open-frame ABS printing
- Anycubic Slicer is unpolished
- TPU feeding issues with ACE Pro
- Less refined calibration compared to Bambu Lab
- Plastic casing parts feel cheap
- No AI error detection
- Material waste in multi-color printing (waste tower)
- Limited documentation and community support
Who is it For?
Definitely Buy If:
- You want to start multi-color printing and have a limited budget
- You are working on hobby and decorative projects
- This will be your first CoreXY printer experience
- You primarily work with PLA and PETG
Consider If:
- You plan to use engineering materials (PA-CF, PC) (no enclosed frame)
- You expect perfect multi-color print quality (Bambu Lab is better)
- Professional process reliability is required
- You need to use more than 4 colors
Price/Performance Evaluation
The Kobra 3 Combo (printer + ACE Pro) is priced around $449-549. Getting a multi-color CoreXY printer at this price was unthinkable even 2 years ago. It's close in price to the Bambu Lab A1 + AMS Lite combination, but it has the advantage of CoreXY kinematics.
In terms of price/performance, Anycubic offers the most aggressive deal in this segment.
Conclusion and Scoring
The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo is a significant step in democratizing multi-color printing. It's not perfect, but the value it offers for its price is very high.
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Print Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7.5/10 |
| Speed & Performance | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8/10 |
| Ease of Setup | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7.5/10 |
| Material Compatibility | ⭐⭐⭐ 7/10 |
| Software | ⭐⭐⭐ 7/10 |
| Build Quality | ⭐⭐⭐ 7/10 |
| Price/Performance | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 9.5/10 |
| OVERALL | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 7.8/10 |
Final Word: If you want to enter the world of multi-color printing at an affordable price, the Kobra 3 Combo is a great starting point. It's not perfect, but considering its price, it offers a very satisfying experience.