This $449 4-Color Printer Just Beat a $799 Machine

Product(s) Compared

• Elgus (Elegoo) Atari Carbon 2 / Centauri Carbon 2 (4-color)

  • Price: ~$449 (the video shows “$4.49”, clearly meant as $449)
  • CoreXY fully enclosed
  • 4-color with built-in color swapping
  • No AMS upgrade

• Bambu Lab P2S (P1S refresh, “2nd edition”)

  • Price: ~$799
  • CoreXY fully enclosed
  • Color system via AMS2 (with various bundled options discussed)

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Key Features Mentioned (Shared Baseline)

Both printers are described as having:

• CoreXY kinematics: smooth and fast
• Fully enclosed design with good chamber cooling
  • Prints can run with the door closed
  • The door is not locked and printing continues even if opened while running (not framed as child-safety)
• No active chamber heating (they primarily hold heat as best they can)
• Build volume: 256³ (≈ 10 in cube)
• PEI textured, two-sided build plates
• Automatic leveling / Z height finding: hands-free autoleveling
• Hardened steel nozzle (Point4): expected to last years for weekend/PLA use
• Connectivity: Wi‑Fi + USB
• Large touchscreen UI
• Built-in camera: P2S camera quality is described as better

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Differences & Notable System Details

Elgus / CC2 (4-color Carbon 2)

• True built-in 4-color system
  • “Fourcolor machine. Full stop.”
  • No AMS to buy
• Spool holders
  • Four spool holders mounted on the side and exposed
  • For moisture-sensitive/nylon use, a user may need a dry box next to the printer
  • Video notes spool design/fit issues:
    • The host said a stock spool didn’t fit properly
    • They broke a stock spool and used printed replacements
  • Tension mechanism: mechanical spring tension
  • Spools are not powered for retraction (host suggests simpler peg designs could work)
• Filament handling advantage
  • Can handle a wider variety of spool types (e.g., cardboard, small spools), as long as they fit
• Nozzle switching
  • CC2 requires tools to change nozzle sizes
  • Mentioned max nozzle temp: 350°C
    • Supports higher-temp materials (example given: PPS)
• Plate heating detail
  • Elgus plate is a hot/cold plate
  • The cold side “doesn’t work all that great”; suggests running warmer
• Ecosystem / security
  • Runs on a modified Clipper setup described as local-network, not cloud-based
  • Minimal lock-in:
    • STLs can be used/sliced elsewhere
    • RFID tags add convenience (auto sensing loaded filament), not a hard requirement

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Bambu Lab P2S (+ AMS2 Pro)

• Modular color system
  • P2S offered as single color or bundled with AMS2 Pro
  • AMS2 Pro includes a heater for drying filament + desiccant storage
  • Heater limitation: heater doesn’t work while printing
    • Requires choosing between printing or drying
  • Expansion claim:
    • Can support up to four AMS2 Pros + four AMS HT units (video claims up to 20 colors)
    • Heater power can only fully power one unit
    • More dryers require extra power adapters and a large power strip if fully loaded
• Print speed advantage (filament transport design)
  • AMS “pushes all four filaments right up to the tool head”
  • Reduces waiting during swaps (avoids long back-and-forth retract cycles to spools)
• AMS design improvements
  • Easier to clean than earlier Bamboo AMS:
    • Tubes are now exposed
  • Smaller/simpler filament-break cleanup described
• Nozzle heat / quick swap
  • Quick swap nozzle for nozzle size changes
  • Mentioned max nozzle temp: 300°C
    • Better for standard materials; less headroom vs CC2 for very high-temp options
• Ecosystem
  • Described as more “full-service”:
    • Maker World, community, contests, filament/spare parts
  • Bambu Handy for phone control and selecting pre-sliced files from Maker World
  • Bambu Studio slicer integrates with Maker World
  • File sending can be via cloud or LAN for advanced workflows
• Camera
  • P2S camera quality described as better

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Print Performance & User Experience (From Tests)

Two comparison prints used the same general tuning approach and similar layer height, with reduced flush volumes to 75 and no purge objects.

Test 1: FlexiFactory “Cyber Horse” (3 colors)

• P2S

  • Example: vase with 0.8 mm nozzle completed under 1 hour
  • Horse print:
    • Waste: 129 g (between purge + prime tower)
    • Print time: 14 hours 13 minutes

• CC2

  • Horse print:
    • Waste: 159 g (between purge + prime tower)
    • Print time: 17 hours 57 minutes
    • Quality: excellent, but one area had overhang cooling issues

• Speed result

  • P2S was faster by 3 hours 45 minutes on the horse test

Note on waste framing: The video later claims both machines waste “about the same” overall, but the direct test numbers shown are 129 g vs 159 g for this print.

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General Takeaway From Tests

• Both printers: excellent print quality
• P2S: cleaner color swaps and faster
• CC2: slightly rougher cooling on one overhang; more waste in the test

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Ecosystem Comparison (Lock-in vs Flexibility)

• Bambu Lab
  • Deeper ecosystem, presets, and cloud integrations
  • Easier onboarding for beginners
• Elegoo / CC2
  • Less ecosystem depth
  • Mentions NextPrint for models/contests
  • Phone app framed mainly for monitoring
• Non-brand compatibility (both)
  • Both can use non-brand filaments/software
  • Bambu advantage: convenience
  • CC2 note: no need to rely on Bamboo to use STLs/filament (brand-agnostic use is emphasized)

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Pros and Cons (As Stated / Implied)

Elgus / CC2 Pros

• Much cheaper: ~$449 vs ~$799
• Built-in 4-color without purchasing AMS add-ons
• Handles a wider variety of spool types
• Higher nozzle max temp: 350°C (e.g., PPS)
• Privacy/security angle: local operation (modified Clipper) vs cloud emphasis

Elgus / CC2 Cons

• Exposed spools → may require a dry box for nylon/humidity-sensitive use
• Nozzle changes require tools
• Mixed experiences with spool fit/design:
  • host broke a stock spool; used printed replacements
• Less mature ecosystem than Bambu
• In the test: slightly more purge waste and one overhang cooling rough spot

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Bambu P2S Pros

• Faster in tests (notably the horse print)
• Strong ecosystem (Maker World, apps, community, pre-sliced convenience)
• Better camera quality
• Quick nozzle swapping
• AMS2 Pro filament drying support + easier cleanup vs older Bamboo AMS designs
• In the test: clean color swaps and excellent overall quality

Bambu P2S Cons

• Higher cost: about $350 more
• AMS2 Pro drying doesn’t run while printing
• Nozzle max described as 300°C (less suited for very high-temp materials vs CC2)
• Door behavior is not framed as a safety lock; printing continues if opened (parity implied with CC2 behavior)

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Explicit Numerical Highlights Mentioned

• Price difference: $350
• Build volume: 256³ (~10 in cube)
• Test waste (Cyber Horse)
  • P2S: 129 g
  • CC2: 159 g
• Test time (Cyber Horse)
  • P2S: 14h 13m
  • CC2: 17h 57m
  • Difference: P2S is 3h 45m faster
• Nozzle temperatures
  • CC2: 350°C
  • P2S: 300°C
• AMS scaling
  • Up to 4 AMS2 Pros + 4 AMS HT → up to 20 colors (per video claim)
  • Heater only fully powers one unit

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Overall Verdict (Concise Recommendation)

• The video’s final recommendation: CC2 (Elgus Atari/Centauri Carbon 2) “wins by a nose” primarily due to price, while conceding the P2S is more polished, faster, and has the superior ecosystem.
• Choose P2S if you value:
  • Speed
  • Ecosystem depth
  • AMS2 convenience (especially for beginners and bundled drying)
• Choose CC2 if you want:
  • 4-color printing for significantly less money
  • Higher nozzle temp headroom (350°C)
  • Acceptance of a smaller ecosystem and some spool/handling considerations

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Unique Points by Speaker/Host (Single Main Narrator)

• “No AMS upgrade needed” and built-in 4-color positioning for CC2
• Door behavior is not a safety lock (printing continues if opened)
• CC2 spool design critique + broken stock spool + printed replacements
• CC2 ecosystem/privacy:
  • modified Clipper local network
  • STLs/filament not locked to brand (RFID only for convenience)
• P2S AMS2 Pro specifics:
  • heater limitation while printing
  • extra power adapter needs for multiple dryers
• P2S ecosystem depth:
  • Maker World, Handy app, Studio slicer, cloud/LAN
• Quantified test comparisons:
  • waste grams + print times
  • P2S nozzle swap speed advantage
• Final “wins by a nose” conclusion for CC2 based on the price/value tradeoff