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Bambu Lab P2S Combo vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo

Bambu Lab P2S Combo (#2) vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo (#4, best value): in our Multi-Color 3D Printers Under $1,000 scoring the Bambu Lab P2S Combo totals 8.9/10 and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo 7.7/10.

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TopsFive comparison scores

8.9 / 10
Bambu Lab P2S Combo
7.7 / 10
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo

Side by side

Bambu Lab P2S ComboElegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo
Multi-Color SystemAMS 2 Pro (single-nozzle filament swapping)CANVAS (single-nozzle filament swapping)
Max Colors4 included; up to 20 with extra AMS units4
Toolheads / Nozzles1 toolhead, 1 nozzle1 toolhead, 1 nozzle
Filament DryingYes, built into the AMS 2 ProNo
Build Volume256 × 256 × 256 mm256 × 256 × 256 mm
Max Speed600 mm/s500 mm/s
Max Nozzle Temp300°C (hardened steel)350°C (hardened steel)
Enclosure / ChamberFully enclosed; retains about 50°C, no active heaterFully enclosed; no active chamber heating
WeightAbout 15 kg printer; 16.4 kg with AMS 2 Pro19.35 kg (with CANVAS)
Max Acceleration20,000 mm/s²20,000 mm/s²
Max Bed Temp110°C110°C
Max Hotend Flow40 mm³/s—
Dimensions392 × 406 × 478 mm (printer)500 × 480 × 743 mm (with CANVAS)
SlicerBambu Studio (Orca Slicer also supported)ElegooSlicer (OrcaSlicer and Cura supported)
PriceCheck price →Check price →

How they differ in real use

Built from our multi color 3d printers scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.

Both the Bambu Lab P2S Combo and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo made our Top 5 Multi-Color 3D Printers Under $1,000, at #2 and #4 (best value). The most complete single-nozzle multi-color package and the best pick sold on Amazon US: the AMS 2 Pro dries spools while it prints, expands from 4 to 20 colors with extra AMS units, and Bambu Studio with the MakerWorld library makes painting and slicing a multi-color model easier than on any non-Bambu pick. The enclosed CoreXY printer (600 mm/s, hardened-steel 300°C nozzle, a chamber that retains about 50°C) also handles ABS and ASA. It ranks below the X2D because every color change purges through its single nozzle and its chamber is not actively heated. It ranks above the Snapmaker U1 because the U1 stops at four colors, has an open top and no drying, while the P2S gives up only purge waste and slower color changes in exchange for a more polished, more expandable system at a similar price. The cheapest enclosed multi-color printer here, and the current Amazon listing adds 4 kg of PETG: CANVAS swaps four RFID-detected spools on an enclosed CoreXY frame with the hottest nozzle in the list (350°C, hardened steel), so ABS, ASA and carbon-fiber-filled filaments are within reach. TechRadar rated it among the cheapest and most reliable multi-filament printers. It ranks fourth because CANVAS tops out at four colors and does not dry filament, and Notebookcheck had to correct the default first-layer offset. It beats the Bambu Lab A1 Combo on enclosure, acceleration (20,000 vs 10,000 mm/s²) and material range, which matters more than the A1's simpler software for anyone printing beyond PLA and PETG.

We score multi-color 3d printers under $1,000 on Multi-Color System (30%), Print Quality & Speed (20%), Material Capability (15%), Ease of Use & Software (20%) and Value (15%). On that basis the Bambu Lab P2S Combo totals 8.9 out of 10 and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo 7.7. The widest gap is Multi-Color System, where the Bambu Lab P2S Combo scores 9 against 7 for the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo: how many colors it handles out of the box and with expansion, how fast it changes color, how much filament each change purges, and how reliably reviewers found it swapping. Ease of Use & Software also separates them: 10 for the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus 7 for the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo claws back ground on Value.

On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Multi-Color System: AMS 2 Pro (single-nozzle filament swapping) on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus CANVAS (single-nozzle filament swapping) on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo; Max Colors: 4 included; up to 20 with extra AMS units on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus 4 on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo; Filament Drying: Yes, built into the AMS 2 Pro on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus No on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo; Max Speed: 600 mm/s on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus 500 mm/s on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo; Max Nozzle Temp: 300°C (hardened steel) on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus 350°C (hardened steel) on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo; Enclosure / Chamber: Fully enclosed; retains about 50°C, no active heater on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus Fully enclosed; no active chamber heating on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. They match on Toolheads / Nozzles and Build Volume.

Check current pricing at the merchant links below. Owners praise the Bambu Lab P2S Combo for built-in filament drying in the AMS 2 Pro (shared only with the X2D Combo here) and expansion from 4 to 20 colors with extra AMS 2 Pro and AMS HT units; the most common complaint is purge waste on every color change, which on prints with many color changes can rival the weight of the model itself. Owners praise the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo for the hottest nozzle in this list (350°C, hardened steel) and an enclosed CoreXY frame with four-color printing for about the price of the open-frame A1 Combo; the most common complaint is a four-color ceiling: CANVAS tops out at four spools.

Bambu Lab P2S Combo

  • Built-in filament drying in the AMS 2 Pro (shared only with the X2D Combo here)
  • Expansion from 4 to 20 colors with extra AMS 2 Pro and AMS HT units
  • The most polished software here: Bambu Studio, the Bambu Handy app and the MakerWorld library of ready-to-print multi-color models
  • Enclosed CoreXY frame at 600 mm/s with a hardened-steel nozzle and carbon filter for ABS, ASA and fiber-filled filaments
  • Purge waste on every color change, which on prints with many color changes can rival the weight of the model itself
  • Color changes take far longer than the Snapmaker U1's tool swaps, which adds hours to heavily multi-colored prints
  • No active chamber heater: the enclosure only retains about 50°C, short of the X2D's actively heated 65°C chamber

Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo

  • The hottest nozzle in this list (350°C, hardened steel)
  • An enclosed CoreXY frame with four-color printing for about the price of the open-frame A1 Combo
  • RFID filament detection and automatic refill when a spool runs out
  • A current Amazon bundle that includes 4 kg of Elegoo Rapid PETG
  • A four-color ceiling: CANVAS tops out at four spools
  • No filament drying, and the top-mounted CANVAS makes the machine about 74 cm tall
  • A default first-layer offset that needed correcting in Notebookcheck's review, and software less refined than Bambu Lab's

Which should you buy?

The Bambu Lab P2S Combo is the better fit for first-time multi-color buyers who want it to just work and printing PLA, PETG, ABS and ASA from one machine; it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for Multi-Color System and Ease of Use & Software. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is the better fit for the lowest-cost enclosed multi-color printer and printing ABS, ASA and carbon-fiber blends on a budget, and the stronger choice if Value matters more to you than the overall score. The Bambu Lab P2S Combo is a poor fit for buyers who want minimal filament waste per color change; the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is a poor fit for more than four colors in one print.

Choose the Bambu Lab P2S Combo if

  • First-time multi-color buyers who want it to just work
  • Printing PLA, PETG, ABS and ASA from one machine
  • Growing past four colors later

Skip it if

  • Buyers who want minimal filament waste per color change
  • Nylon or polycarbonate parts that need an actively heated chamber
Check price at Amazon

Choose the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo if

  • The lowest-cost enclosed multi-color printer
  • Printing ABS, ASA and carbon-fiber blends on a budget
  • Families who want the moving parts behind a door

Skip it if

  • More than four colors in one print
  • Buyers who want the most polished software
Check price at Amazon

Common questions

Is the Bambu Lab P2S Combo better than the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo?

In our Multi-Color 3D Printers Under $1,000 ranking the Bambu Lab P2S Combo scores higher overall, 8.9 to 7.7, with the biggest advantage in Multi-Color System. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo is stronger on Value, so it is the better pick if that matters most to you.

What is the main difference between the Bambu Lab P2S Combo and the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo?

The headline spec difference is Multi-Color System: AMS 2 Pro (single-nozzle filament swapping) on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo versus CANVAS (single-nozzle filament swapping) on the Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo. In use, the gap that matters most is Multi-Color System (9 vs 7 in our scoring): how many colors it handles out of the box and with expansion, how fast it changes color, how much filament each change purges, and how reliably reviewers found it swapping.

Check price: Bambu Lab P2S ComboCheck price: Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 Combo