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Kobra X or Kobra 4?

A practical comparison of the Kobra X, Kobra 4, and their Combo configurations.

For the most part, the Kobra X and Kobra 4 are very similar printers. The primary differences are the printhead, printhead cable, printhead carriage, filament cutter ramp, the Kobra 4 motherboard (which uses different firmware and does not include an RFID header), and the addition of the physical RFID reader on the Kobra X.

In short, the Kobra 4 is designed as a standalone single-color printer, while the Kobra X expands on that platform by adding support for four-color printing. Aside from these components, the two machines share much of the same mechanical design and service procedures.

For a detailed comparison of the differences between the two printers, refer to the chart below.

For the most part, the Kobra X and Kobra 4 are very similar printers. The primary differences are the printhead, printhead cable, printhead carriage, filament cutter ramp, the Kobra 4 motherboard (which uses different firmware and does not include an RFID header), and the addition of the physical RFID reader on the Kobra X.

In short, the Kobra 4 is designed as a standalone single-color printer, while the Kobra X expands on that platform by adding support for four-color printing. Aside from these components, the two machines share much of the same mechanical design and service procedures.

For a detailed comparison of the differences between the two printers, refer to the chart below.

FeatureKobra XKobra X ComboKobra 4Kobra 4 Combo
Number of Colors4714
DryerNo4 of 7 spoolsNo4 spools
RFID readerYes(2) Printer and Ace 2 ProNoIn Ace 2 Pro
Speed (multi-color) # see footnoteFastFast on first 3 spools Extremely slow slow on Ace 2 Pro spoolsN/ASlower purges than Kobra X standalone
CommentsGood all around setup for 4 color printingAdds 3 more colors & dryer to base Kobra X . Ace 2 Pro is slow and quirkyGreat single color printer which should have a reliable printheadAdds dryer and 4 colors to the Kobra 4. Does not have the slow performance as it does mated to to Kobra x

Footnotes

** Kobra X combo running with filament detection module

# This rating applies to multicolor printing only. Although both X and 4 printheads operate at the same speed, the Kobra 4 is slightly faster on single color prints as the purge/startup time is less. On multi-color the Kobra X combo suffers because of the poor performance of the Ace 2 Pro.

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