The Anycubic Kobra S1 Max (professional) and Flashforge AD5X (prosumer) come from different brands and sit in different tiers, so this is less a head-to-head than a question of how much printer you need. Both are CoreXY printers with 4-slot multicolor, a 600 mm/s rated top speed and automatic calibration. The Kobra S1 Max costs $400 more and gets you an enclosed chamber (with ASA, PA, PC and PET-CF on its materials list) and 303% more build volume.
First-generation product — recently released, still early days
Best for: Professional makers and small studios who need large-format enclosed printing for engineering filaments at a competitive price — and want Anycubic's ecosystem over Creality or Qidi alternatives.
Full details →First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on
Best for: Budget-conscious makers who want built-in 4-color multicolor printing under $400 — primarily for PLA and PETG. Open frame, so not suited for ABS or engineering filaments without the add-on enclosure.
Full details →| Anycubic Kobra S1 Max | Flashforge AD5X | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Starting Price | $799 | ★ $399 |
| Print Specs | ||
| Tier | Professional | Prosumer |
| Motion | CoreXY | CoreXY |
| Build Volume | ★ 350 × 350 × 350 mm | 220 × 220 × 220 mm |
| Max Speed | 600 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Multicolor | ✅ 4 slots | ✅ 4 slots |
| Enclosure | ★ ✅ | ❌ |
| Auto Calibration | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source | ❌ | ❌ |
| Upgrade Kit | — | — |
| Buy Timing | ||
| Released | Nov 25, 2025 | Jun 15, 2025 |
| Cycle length | — | — |
| Cycle advice | Buy | Caution |
| Deals advice | Buy | Buy |
| Next model | — | — |
The Kobra S1 Max was released on Nov 25, 2025, 352 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
The AD5X was released on Jun 15, 2025, 515 days ago. It is a first-generation product, so there is no earlier cycle to predict its successor from.
On timing alone, the Kobra S1 Max is the safer buy right now — it launched only 352 days ago, while the AD5X has no release history pointing to a successor yet.
Cycle and deal status as of November 12, 2026. See the launch calendar →
The AD5X lists at $399 and the Kobra S1 Max at $799 — $400 apart, so the Kobra S1 Max costs 100% more.
Per litre of build volume, that works out to $19 for the Kobra S1 Max versus $37 for the AD5X — so the pricier Kobra S1 Max actually gives you more build space per dollar.
Our pick for most buyers is the Kobra S1 Max, for an enclosed chamber (with ASA, PA, PC and PET-CF on its materials list) and 303% more build volume, plus better buy-now timing. Go for the AD5X instead if you want to spend less — it is $400 cheaper ($399 vs $799).
How we judge timing and deals: read our methodology →
One of the largest enclosed build volumes in the prosumer/professional tier — suited for large engineering parts, architectural models, and batch production.
Maintaining 65°C across a 350×350 mm chamber is a meaningful technical achievement — ensuring consistent results for ABS, ASA, and PA across the full build plate.
The S1 Max extends the Kobra ecosystem into the large-format enclosed segment, enabling Anycubic users to scale up without switching brands.
The AD5X undercuts comparable multicolor setups on price with IFS built directly into the printer — no separate accessory needed.
No cloud dependency or mandatory account. OrcaSlicer is community-standard open-source slicer software — familiar to most experienced makers.
Ships ready for PLA-CF and PETG-CF without requiring a nozzle upgrade — a genuine differentiator at this price point.