Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo V2: full review, is it worth the update?

In the world of FDM 3D printing, we are facing a race between manufacturers to introduce improvements and different models to meet the needs of all users. Anycubic after the excellent Kobra S1 launches its new FDM printer.

This new machine comes to the market not as a Kobra 4, but as a significant update to its predecessor, the Kobra 3 Combo, seeking to consolidate improvements at the hardware and software level and offer a more accessible and high-performance color printing experience.
The promise is clear: a powerful and affordable printer, ideal for both beginners and those looking for an economical multicolor option.

In case you don’t know, Anycubic, which is already a veteran in the 3D world, has a wide range of both FDM and SLA models that we invite you to discover on its website.

As always, before continuing with the article, remind you that you can join 3DWork on our Telegram channel full of 3D printing deranged, or on our social networks: Instagram,, YouTube, , TikTok, , Twitter and Facebook.

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo incorporates a series of improvements that distinguish it from its predecessor but… do they justify a new version of this machine?

We are not going to review all the common specifications with the previous model, we are going to try to highlight those that to a greater or lesser extent improve in this Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo. Started!!!

Let’s comment on something that is always interesting… the print volume has “increased“: Anycubic has made changes, the software has improved this aspect, now the print volume has increased to 255 x 255 x 260 mm³… 4% more.

Although the 5mm increase in X and Y may seem small, it’s a welcome improvement that’s expected to be implemented via firmware on the original Kobra 3 as well.

In this case there are no differences with the previous model, but what we would like to highlight is that this new generation of printers has an amazing printing speed.

The printer can reach a maximum speed of 600 mm/s, with a default print speed of 300 mm/s. This represents a considerable leap over older printers, allowing a complete Benchy to be printed in as little as 11 minutes and 30 seconds. Maximum acceleration is 20,000 mm/s.

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 maintains the LeviQ 3.0 system, which performs self-leveling and ensures perfect Z-offset, eliminating the need for manual adjustments. Improvements include a wider Y-axis (60mm, compared to 40mm on the original) for greater stability and precision, and SG15 bearings on the X-axis for improved stability.

In addition, Anycubic has announced a future dynamic leveling feature that will only probe the area of the bed where the model will be printed, drastically reducing set-up time.

The printer uses a single Z-motor with dual-axis Z-axis rods connected by a belt to improve stability.

A major improvement point is that it uses the same nozzle as the Anycubic Kobra S1, with an improved design among other things to minimize filament leakag.

The hotend is still quick-change and is all-metal. It withstands temperatures of up to 300°C, allowing you to work with a wide range of materials. It comes with a standard nozzle diameter that is 0.4mm, although we have 0.25mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm options that we can purchase separately.

The printer features a magnetic flexible print surface with textured PEI coating on both sides, which offer excellent adhesion and removal of these easily once the print is complete. The heated bed on the other hand reaches up to 110°.

A 720p camera is included in this Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 as standard. However, camera mounts must be printed by us with a file pre-loaded on the printer.

Although the camera allows for remote monitoring and time-lapses, the live image quality is “just right” with low frame rates and the time-lapses look correct.

As it could not be otherwise, the Anycubic Kobra 3 v2 is fully compatible with the Anycubic Color Engine (ACE Pro). This module allows printing with up to four colors with a single unit, we can use up to a maximum of two currently with which eight colors can be achieved in a single print.

The system works by feeding the colors through Bowden tubes to the hotend, cutting and retracting the old filament, and purging the new color with a magnetic cleaning mechanism located on the right side of the Z axis.
The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo (4 colors) comes with the four-tube hub and an ACE Pro… while the 8-color combo kit includes the 8-color connection module and two ACE Pro.

A feature of the ACE Pro is its built-in filament drying capability. The temperature can be set between 35 and 55°C and the time between 2 and 24 hours. A very interesting feature that we will see in more detail later.

It is important to note that TPU is not advisable with the ACE Pro for multicor printing, although we can use it directly in the printer. The ACE Pro is compatible, used in conjunction with the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2, with PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PET, PA, PC and HIPS.

In addition, the ACE Pro has an RFID filament detector, in this case for Anycubic brand coils and that helps to synchronize the settings from the laminator and improve the user experience.

Before finishing with the functions and specifications of this machine we would like to highlight the Anycubic ecosystem, which is becoming more and more important in these machines and users.

• Anycubic Slicer Next: A fork of Orca Slicer, optimized for Anycubic printers and materials. Among its functions we would like to highlight:
  • Perfect support for Anycubic printers and materials
  • LAN mode for direct printing without the need for the Anycubic Cloud
  • remote printer management via the Anycubic Cloud
  • management of multiple boards and having all parts of our project accessible
  • application of colors in the models and synchronization of filaments with the ACE Pro. A key feature is the ability to customize filament purge amounts between colors to save material and time.
  • Object Skip function.

• Anycubic App: Allows remote control and real-time monitoring of prints, with push notifications for incidents such as filament tangles or print completion from our phones/tablets.
  From our point of view, Anycubic has one of the best remote management ecosystems we have tested.

• Makeronline: Anycubic’s model platform, which offers models and the possibility of “one click to laminate and print” and where we can find all kinds of projects.

In the following diagram you can see the different parts and functions of the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2:

As a summary here are the complete specifications of this Anycubic Kobra 3 v2 and the original version for reference:

	Kobra 3 V2 Combo	Kobra 3 V2 Combo
Print Size	255*255*260 mm	250*250*260 mm (Kobra 3′ s 255*255*260mm print size is expected to upgrade in Q3)
Print Speed	Maximum 600mm/s, default 300mm/s	Maximum 600mm/s, default 300mm/s
Ideal Printing Filaments	PLA/PETG/TPU (TPU is not compatible with the ACE Pro)	PLA/PETG/TPU (TPU is not compatible with the ACE Pro)
Multicolor Printing	Standard 4- / 8-color printing	Standard 4- / 8-color printing
Auto-Leveling Mode	LeviQ3.0 auto-leveling Z-axis offset-free hardware structure optimization	LeviQ3.0 auto-leveling Z-axis offset-free
Nozzle Temperature	Maximum 300°C	Maximum 300°C
Hotbed Temperature	Maximum 110°C	Maximum 110°C
Video Monitoring	720P HD camera (included)	720P HD camera (optional)

Unboxing and commissioning of the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo

One of the first things that stand out when unboxing the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo is its excellent packaging and kit contents with everything you need.

Assembly is surprisingly quick and easy and the printer comes practically assembled. You have all the description of the steps in the paper manual included and we also leave you at the end of this section a video with the process.

We will simply remove all the protections and anchors placed for transport.

Once the anchors have been removed, we assemble the hotend with the provided screws and connect/anchor the control cable.

We will install the screen on the side using the bracket/screws of the kit and connecting the data cable of the printer to this…

We will connect the data X-axis cable and place the guide for the filaments and hotend cable:

Next, we will install the filament purging system.

Finally, we will place the PTFE tubes for the filament in the hotend hub, pass them through the guide we previously installed and end up connecting these to the back of our ACE Pro. In the kit we have spacers/guides so that the tubes/cables are compact and on the other hand no special order is necessary in the PTFE tubes.

Now that we have the machine assembled, checked, and ready, we can start it. Once turned on, make sure to connect the power of the ACE Pro as well, the printer will guide us in the configuration of it and perform a complete self-calibration that includes the leveling of the bed and a vibration compensation for the input shaping for example.

Normally, and even if it is our first printer, this start-up process can take between 20-30 minutes and is quite simple. Once this was finished, we skipped an OTA update for the printer and the ACE Pro and then launched the typical Benchy that we already have in the printer itself.

The truth is that the Benchy printed very quickly and without any extra calibration or specific adjustment for the filament the result was quite good.

We continue the tests by printing the camera mount that comes inside the printer so that we can install it:

Although the support is fine, I would advise you to print another one with a little more adjustment in the position of the camera to help improve the location. If you search for “kobra 2 v2 camera” from Makeronline you can find other interesting alternatives.

In the following video you have the entire start-up process:

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo… User Experience

We have been with this Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo for a few weeks now, proving to be a machine, which in line with the previous version, is very reliable and offers high quality prints.

The improvements introduced in this new version of this Kobra series from Anycubic help to improve the consistency of the layers without an extra effort of fine-tuning, very good results in the first layers with the general feeling of precision and solidity in the results.

To verify the printer and the ACE Pro system, one of our first tests was to print using 4 different rolls, but in this case to print by objects, since each piece was of a single color and we can reduce in this way the extra waste of filament in the purge/wipe between colors.

Going deeper into the use of the ACE Pro we have to say that it works very well and taking into account the complexity of these processes it has been very reliable.

The use of the Anycubic Slicer Next slicer for the adjustment of the purges in your tower, the screen adjustment of the mechanical purge along with purge tests to identify the optimal volume between colors and the typical tips to make the most of the laminator’s options (use of purge in fill, objects used for purging, orientation, etc…) helped us significantly reduce the amount of wasted filament… something that is inevitable in this type of multi-material machines.

In terms of multicor printing, the ACE Pro system works very well, delivering results without colour mixing and efficient purge management, producing significantly less purge residue than previous models.

However, purging effectiveness may vary with highly pigmented filaments, such as black to white, where a larger purging volume may be necessary to prevent color bleeding.

Although we don’t have photos, unfortunately one of the uses we love with these multi-material systems is to use filaments that do not adhere to each other, such as PLA with PETG and vice versa, as an interface on the supports which allows an excellent finish in areas of that type.

Although the most common is to use PLA-type filaments in these open machines, we have been able to carry out tests with PETG and ASA with excellent finishes, in addition to the aforementioned of use as a support interface.

Globally the experience with this Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo has been very good, we have had some aspects to improve.

• Slow file transfer via Cloud: It has been noticed that, sometimes, the transfer of files from the laminator is desperately slow, and it can take several minutes to transfer a simple project, even longer than the print itself.
  This is what sometimes has to use project transfer via cloud that in case of problems these things can happen or even not be able to use the printer by this method, remember that we have LAN mode as an alternative.

• Filament temperature settings: It is important to correctly adjust the temperatures of the filaments used to avoid jamming, especially with certain materials and when using multi-material systems such as the ACE Pro.
  It is always advisable to carry out a few minimum tests to adjust the laminator options for each filament. The good news is that Anycubic’s laminator, Slicer Next based on OrcaSlicer, has options to generate them in a few clicks.

• Airflow of the printhead: The printhead has a very nice design but on the other hand it can hinder airflow to the layer fan.
  In some of our tests observing the overhang tests we saw an improvement by changing the front for one with better flow, you can find different designs on Makeronline by searching for “kobra 3 v2 front cover”.

• Camera support: It is advisable to print a mod that allows greater freedom of movement of the camera as we mentioned before. If you search for “kobra 2 v2 camera” from Makeronline you can find other interesting alternatives.

• Object Printing (Anycubic Slicer Next): The Object Printing feature in Anycubic Slicer Next is not working properly and has caused crashes during printing, which is an important printer profile or system configuration bug to consider.
  It’s something to keep in mind but probably something easily fixed in future software fixes.

• Bed Connection Cable: Although the bed connection cable has been improved, its location and printer movements can cause friction that could eventually be a problem.
  In the following image taken after a few hours of printing, and which we have applied a filter to make it stand out more, you can see the friction with the support of the bed motor. The motor cable has been greatly improved in quality and protection but still has to be taken into account.

• It is not so much a problem in itself but something to take into account… the combination of the printer with the ACE Pro (or two ACE Pro units) takes up considerable space and with an optimal specific orientation.
  The ACE Pro requires its own power supply not powered directly from the printer, which means two independent power cables.

• During normal use the printer was left hanging on some occasions with the initial firmware versions so it is important to keep the machine updated when you tell us, although restarting the machine solved the problem easily.

• As mentioned above, the active drying function of the ACE Pro may not be as effective as advertised without additional desiccant and/or ventilation, as moisture is recycled within the sealed chamber if the desiccant is not available in optimal conditions and/or we do not generate ventilation during drying.
  While the heater maintains the internal temperature by being a sealed chamber, the moisture released from the filament can remain in the air inside the ACE Pro, and even increase the measured humidity if there is no desiccant or adequate ventilation.
  For effective drying, it is crucial to place desiccant in the available containers, and for the heater to function as a dryer, it is recommended to leave the lid of the ACE slightly open so that moisture can escape to the outside.
  On the other hand, on Makeronline searching for “ACE Pro desiccant” you can find some mods to add more desiccant storage capacity… Remember to make them in a temperature-tolerable filament!!

Rinkhals… make the most of the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2!!

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2, like previous models, uses a version of Klipper adapted by Anycubic for its machines and “limited” compared to a normal Klipper.

This is where Rinkhals comes in!! Rinkhals is an open-source project that will allow us to improve Klipper’s version of our Anycubic printer (one of those supported that are not all).

Rinkhals provides us with a simple installation and will allow us to have some Klipper components that Anycubic limits such as the Moonraker API, web interfaces such as Mainsail or Fluidd as well as other really useful components and tools.

The installation process is pretty straightforward:

• The first step is to make sure that our printer is supported by Rinkhals, at the time of making this review the supported machines were: Kobra 2 Pro, Kobra 3 and its different versions and the Kobra 3 V2.
• Secondly, we will go to our printer, check the installed firmware version and check the Rinkhals documentation that it is supported. If it is not, or we will have to wait for support, check the “Issues” section of Rinkhals to see if it works correctly with our version, as it could be the case that the documentation is not updated or update our printer to the required firmware version.
• We will download the appropriate version for our printer model from the following link:
  • In our case for a Kobra 3 V2 we will use update-k2p-k3.swu, which is also compatible with Kobra 2 Pro models and other versions of the Kobra 3.
  • If we have an Anycubic Kobra S1 we will use the update-ks1.swu
• We will copy the firmware to our USB, the ideal is to use the one that comes in the printer itself but if we use another one we will have to take into account the limitations of size and FAT32 formatting:
  • In the root of the USB we will create a folder with the name aGVscF9zb3Nf
  • We will copy the previously downloaded swu file to this folder and rename it to update.swu

• Once the firmware is copied to the directory and the name of the USB indicated we will connect it to the printer, a few seconds later we should hear a beep and see the wizard of

We have more details about the process and usage on the Rinkhals Wiki. Of course, thank the creator Julien Batonnet for all the work and more than interesting if we use it, invite him to a coffee.

Once installed, we will be able to access a new menu from which to manage Rinkhals and its tools.

In our case we choosed the Mainsail installation to have full access to our machine from this popular web interface for Klipper.

Having these tools will allow us, for example, to launch macros and wizards for an advanced adjustment of our printer… as in our case to be able to see the leveling status of our machine and if we observe problems try to adjust the machine to improve it.

Another component that we also installed was Moonraker, Klipper’s API to be able to use other services that interact with Klipper such as being able to use other laminators such as OrcaSlicer directly. In our case we used the Kobra 3 profile by adjusting the extra size of our V2 and doing tests to fine-tune the profile to our liking.

Rinkhals is an extremely useful tool for those advanced users who want to get the most out of their Anycubic machine and something promising in the future if the support for the machine from the manufacturer is no longer a priority.

Where to buy the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo

Anycubic has the Kobra 3 V2 Combo in its online store where you can directly buy the printer, accessories, spare parts and consumables.

In any case, we provide you with some links to their and other reference stores:

Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo

Final assessment 3Dwork… Is the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo worth it?

We come to the end of the review of this Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo, as it happened to us with the previous version we have found it a very capable quality/price machine and this new version with its improvements help the machine to be more consistent in its results and use.

The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo seems to us to be an excellent choice for those who are new to multicor 3D printing or are looking for an economical printer with color capability. At a very competitive price that includes the printer and an ACE Pro (for 4 spools of filaments), it is one of the most affordable multicor FDM options on the market, we also have the version for 8 spools.

Its ease of assembly, self-leveling, high print speed (with proper quality settings), and multicor printing capability just with the improvements introduced in this V2 make it a great gateway to get started in this hobby. Anycubic has made significant improvements to this V2, addressing some of the weaknesses of the previous model, such as nozzle leaks.

For our part, we ask Anycubic a question and that may be a concern for its users… basically the frequency of launching new models that have improvements that do not make a big difference with previous versions giving the perception of being quickly “obsolete”.
The good thing is that some improvements introduced in this V2 will be available soon in previous versions.

Having tools like Rinkhals seems very good news to us because the community can improve the use of these machines and probably in the future be able to continue to have these systems updated if Anycubic stops doing so.

Although there are still some areas for improvement, there is unfortunately no perfect machine, such as the functionality of the ACE Pro dryer to make it fully effective, the quality of the chamber and the bugs in the laminator and firmware that are probably easily solved by Anycubic… The Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 Combo is a machine that performs excellently and offers a good user experience.