Bambu P1S & P2S vs Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2: The Open Challenger
Published · Field comparison, Bambu-relevant
Short version
Elegoo's Centauri Carbon 2 is the open, cheaper challenger to Bambu's enclosed CoreXY pair. At $449 with a four-color system built in, it undercuts a P2S combo ($799) heavily and reads as a bargain next to the P1S ($699, no color). It runs Klipper, prints hot (350°C hotend) and stays local with no forced cloud. What you give up is Bambu's polish: the mature app, the cleaner multicolor, the huge community, and a track record. One thing to know before you buy either Elegoo: the original Centauri Carbon's promised color module was cancelled, so multicolor now means buying the CC2. If you want the most proven, hassle-free enclosed printer, the P1S/P2S still win. If you want open firmware, hot printing and four colors for the least money, the CC2 is the value play.
Read this before you buy either Elegoo
Elegoo sold the first Centauri Carbon (2025) with a multicolor module "coming Q3 2025." In November 2025 they cancelled it, citing hardware limits, and offered CC1 owners coupons instead. Multicolor now only comes by buying the new CC2, which has a four-color system built in. So the CC2 is not the upgrade CC1 buyers were promised; it is a separate, newer printer. Worth knowing before you spend, on either side.
The three machines
All three are 256 mm enclosed CoreXY printers within $150 of each other. The split is philosophy, not size: open and cheap versus closed and polished.
Open Klipper, 350°C hotend, 5" touch, four-color CANVAS system built in. The value and openness pick.
The proven, cheapest way into Bambu's ecosystem. No touchscreen, add AMS 2.0 for color. The safe default.
Faster (600 mm/s), 5" touch, AI camera, second-gen UI. Bambu's polish at a real premium.
| Feature | Centauri Carbon 2 | Bambu P1S | Bambu P2S |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (printer) | $449 (color incl.) | $699 | $549 |
| Multicolor combo | Built in | + AMS 2.0 | $799 (AMS 2 Pro) |
| Build volume | 256 × 256 × 256 | 256 × 256 × 256 | 256 × 256 × 256 |
| Hotend max temp | 350°C | 300°C | 300°C |
| Max speed (mfr) | 500 mm/s | 500 mm/s | 600 mm/s |
| Firmware | Klipper, local, no cloud | Bambu, cloud default | Bambu, cloud default |
| Display | 5" touch | Mono LCD + buttons | 5" touch |
| Camera | Yes + AI detection | 1080p static | 1080p + AI (NPU) |
| App / ecosystem | ElegooSlicer (young) | Bambu Studio + Handy | Bambu Studio + Handy |
Specs from manufacturer pages and Tom's Hardware reviews (CC1/CC2 tested Feb 2025 / Feb 2026). "500 / 600 mm/s" are manufacturer figures; real quality printing is lower. P1S/P2S measured noise figures were not available.
Open versus closed, in plain terms
This is the real decision, and it cuts both ways. Here is what each side actually buys you.
What Elegoo gives you
- A four-color system for $449, hundreds less than a comparable Bambu combo.
- Klipper and local control. No forced cloud, tunable pressure advance, macros, third-party software works.
- A hotter hotend (350°C) and a hardened nozzle, for more demanding filaments out of the box.
What Bambu gives you
- Polish and proof. A mature app, cleaner multicolor, and years of a huge, well-documented community.
- The ecosystem. Bambu Handy, cloud print farms, RFID filament, and profiles for almost everything.
- Fewer surprises. The P1S in particular is one of the most reliable "just works" enclosed printers you can buy.
One honest caveat on the "open" claim: Elegoo runs a Klipper fork, and there has been real debate about whether their source release fully meets the license. The CC2 is genuinely local and tunable, which is the practical win, but "open source" is doing some heavy lifting in the marketing.
Which should you buy?
- You want the most proven, lowest-hassle enclosed printer and may add color later. The P1S ($699). Still the safest first Bambu, and the ecosystem is the real product.
- You want Bambu's best-value mid-range with touch, AI camera and speed, and you will pay for it. The P2S ($549, $799 combo).
- You want four colors, open firmware and a hot hotend for the least money, and you are comfortable on younger software. The Centauri Carbon 2 ($449). The value and tinkerer pick.
The bottom line
The Centauri Carbon 2 is the strongest open challenger Bambu's mid-range has faced: cheaper, hotter, local, and colorful out of the box. It wins on price and freedom. Bambu still wins on polish, ecosystem and the sheer weight of a proven platform, and the P1S remains the low-drama default for most people. Buy Elegoo if openness and value matter more than a frictionless app; buy Bambu if you would rather it just works and never think about firmware again. And whichever brand you pick, do not buy a first-gen Centauri Carbon expecting the color module that never shipped.
Sources: Elegoo (us.elegoo.com), Bambu Lab product pages, Tom's Hardware (Centauri Carbon and CC2 reviews, "broken promises" report on the cancelled AMS module), All3DP (Klipper firmware/licensing). Prices as of July 2026 and change often. Product images © their respective manufacturers.