Elegoo’s Centauri Carbon 2 Combo Brings Four-Color Printing to the Sub-$500 Market

Elegoo has expanded its budget CoreXY lineup with the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo, a four-color 3D printer that brings multi-material capability to a sub-$500 price point. The new machine is not a simple color module for the original Centauri Carbon but an entirely new system built around an open multi-material setup.

The printer's design centers on a "top hat" enclosure covering four Bowden tubes that feed filament from a separate "CANVAS" unit to a four-color hub on the tool head. This approach differs from enclosed AMS systems like Bambu Lab's, offering easier maintenance since all components are accessible. The CANVAS unit includes an RFID reader that works with Elegoo-branded filament, though the process requires manual spool placement against the reader and touchscreen assignment to corresponding spool holders.

The build volume remains unchanged at 256 × 256 × 256 mm, matching its predecessor. The nozzle has been upgraded to hardened steel capable of reaching 350°C, expanding material compatibility beyond the manufacturer's initial recommendations. While Elegoo suggests sticking to PLA, PETG, and TPU, the hardware specifications suggest capability with more demanding materials like ASA and nylon, pending full review validation.

Print performance mirrors the original Centauri Carbon with a maximum acceleration of 20,000mm/s² and top speed of 500mm/s. In practice, like other high-speed printers, optimal results come from operating below 300mm/s with more conservative acceleration settings. The machine includes a smart temperature control system that allows the front door to remain closed during printing, though there's no active chamber heating.

For user experience, Elegoo emphasizes beginner-friendliness with reliable calibration and auto bed leveling supported by 31 smart sensors. The large touch screen interface is designed for simplicity, and the printer operates at 45 dB, making it suitable for home environments. The software ecosystem uses ElegooSlicer, based on the open-source OrcaSlicer (a Bambu Studio fork). While the slicer may present a learning curve for beginners, the included presets reportedly function well.

Multi-color printing inherently generates waste, but ElegooSlicer provides tools to minimize it. Users can tune purge amounts and utilize purge objects to reduce filament waste, addressing a common concern with single-nozzle multi-material systems.

At $449, the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo significantly undercuts comparable multicolor CoreXY printers. For context, Bambu Lab's P2S retails for $699, making Elegoo's offering a compelling value proposition if the hardware delivers on its specifications. This aggressive pricing positions Elegoo not merely as a budget alternative but as a direct competitor in the multicolor 3D printer market.

The company's potential backing by DJI adds another dimension to this development, suggesting increased resources for R&D and manufacturing. This could accelerate innovation in the budget multicolor segment, potentially driving further price reductions and feature improvements across the market.

The Centauri Carbon 2 Combo represents a strategic move to democratize multi-color printing, traditionally a premium feature. By combining an open multi-material system with CoreXY speed and a sub-$500 price, Elegoo is targeting hobbyists and families who previously viewed four-color printing as cost-prohibitive. The machine's specifications suggest it could handle more advanced materials than initially advertised, potentially expanding its appeal to users requiring engineering-grade filaments.

As the multicolor 3D printer race intensifies, Elegoo's entry with the Centauri Carbon 2 Combo signals a shift toward more accessible multi-material capabilities. The success of this machine will likely influence pricing and feature development across the entire budget CoreXY segment in the coming months.