There is no better reviewer on UA-cam when it comes to 3d printers . I value and appreciate your candor and detail . Ty for your work . ❤️🙏🏻 we are all one
Yeah, we really need an open source AMS alternative for Klipper this year. I got a few old extruder in storage that would be perfect to drive a filament changer.
With so many reviews of the A1 all being released around 9AM this morning, yours is the first I am going to watch....and then will probably skim through all the others because most of them are no where near as compressive as your review.
Your reviews are the best, by far. Lots of really useful information to understand the full potential of the printer and help in deciding on a possible purchase.
As a person who's never used a 3D printer but is considering buying one, this is one of the best reviews I have seen of the A1. I am really trying to figure out what I need to get started and this goes a long way to showing me what I need to consider. Bambu has a lot of accessories on their website for this printer and I am trying to learn more before making a purchase so that I get what I need to get started. Thank you.
I love this. Instead of just talking about the printer with some random images, you are showing how the printer is doing and put them through the stress test. Your review style should be the standard. I even learned about the temps and settings and see it in time lapse how it was doing. Also the noise sample you got, it's like no other youtubers dare to record it and play it back at the real level.
the more you do the review, the more I don't know which one to buy... but after saw your review with this bambu lab A1, you just make my choice easier... thank you for your good review and presentation. I don't find any reviewer better than you and your brother...
Having just ordered the A1 from Bambu with their Black Friday discount I have been binging A1 reviews and how-to's here on YT. Your video here is the best I've seen. It's thorough, informative and may I say you have a great professional voice. You enunciate well and are very understandable. I'll be subscribing to your channel.
It is simply satisfying to rely on you and Helios to explain and review new printers w/r others out there. That said, Bambu Labs is such a force in this 3D printer space that wonder how the other makers are feeling. Given your reviews, these others makers can't rely on marketing specs to gain sales because of your reviews exist. Your work: Aurora Tech - "out of this world".
The most detailed A1 review ever. Other A1 reviews are just mention about "Colour printing wastes too much filament. period" but Aurora Tech shows that more objects on the bed, waste less filament than a single object. Great job!
You & your brother are the best reviewers for 3d printers I've watched you from the start. Your tests are spot on & your opinions are genuine thank you 👌
This is the best review video I have ever watched! Concise and informative on everything you need to know, exactly how it should be. Well done to you and Thank you!
Aurora, with the greatest respect, I really think you should do a “review” with one of your friends that knows nothing about 3D printing. Box it all up, give them the box and see how easy it is for someone who doesn’t have your knowledge to set it up and start printing. Even with the A1 mini which is even more of an entry printer, no one has done a video like this and it would be good to know. It’s like professional race car drivers reviewing and explaining a power wheels kids toy to other race car drivers, when they should be gearing it towards children. I want my friend (who has never 3D printed before) to buy an A1 or A1 mini and I want to send him a video about the printer but I feel the videos out already have too much “knowledge” in them for a beginner. For example, you open up the video with looking at and describing the mother board chips and talking about Klipper, when they would have zero idea what that is. Food for thought!
So it's not a miracle machine, but it produces good quality with lots of features at an overall reasonable price. Thanks for your thorough and honest reviews, as always!
For those of us in the hobby for 10+ years, this might as well be a miracle machine. I know many people have only begun their journey 2-3 years ago so this machine doesn't seem impressive, but in mid 2010s you'd be lucky to get a machine 90% slower than this for 10X the price.
@@actualreplyguy Oh heck yeah. It's amazing how far it has come. I didn't get into it for a long time because of the expense and time consumption, but a $99 Ender 3 Pro finally tempted me. I only meant compared to the current market. It's overall quite impressive.
Another great review. Straight to the point. 🤩 I can see hobbyists getting this printer. Great addition for a line, if you print masks and armour pieces, for example. The main downsides for me are the max bed temp, the fact that I can't manually adjust what I need in the printer itself and having to keep this printer online (this last one goes for all BL printers)
As someone who does not presently have a 3D printer, but is looking to buy one at some time, I am watching many video reviews, to find out what would be the most suitable printer for me. I will say that, out of all the reviews and reviewers I have seen, I find Aurora Trch Channel to be the best! She is very clear about her views on each printer, giving the pros and cons without any favouritism. She tests everything with similar methods to come to a clear decision. I enjoy watching the videos here, and have to admit that I am seriously considering the A1 mini at this time! Thanks for your great channel!
Friend of mine said, I’m looking for a printer for 2 years already. I spent too much time on watching videos about it, I might as well buy it and stop wasting time 😂
Exceptionally talented and professional-this is one of the best, if not the best, channels I've ever seen. I trust your insights more than those of many engineers and online sources.
i personally like the printable vertical AMS lite stand, reduces the footprint, makes the hygrometer mount sit nicely on it and then you can also add tower caps to each number so you can see exactly what color syncs to each number
I can use the screen to set it to 100°C, but the actual measured temperature of the heated bed only reaches up to 81-82°C. Therefore, I would say the maximum temperature is still 80°C.
Great review, Thanks. I am waiting for mine to arrive. One thing someone mentioned was that the AMS uses a non-standard sized filament reels. This causes problems if you want to use non-BambuLabs reels, but you can get an STL file for an printable adapter for various sized reels. Still, the one constant with computers is so many standards to choose from, and BambuLabs has added a new one. Thanks again.
I did well to wait 9 months before buying it, Bambulab will certainly not ignore the hardware improvements that this test will suggest to him. Very good video that removes any ambiguity on the possibility of using this printer with technical materials requiring a plate temperature higher than 80 °. Those who sell us enclosures for this machine claiming that it will be possible to print these materials as with the Carbon X1, are misleading us.
I wonder if their software is going to support using purge material as infill. Also thank you for this no shenanigans content, yours is the one I always watch and don't have to suffer from extra drama, clickbait titles, waiting times.. (I hate waiting)
Aurora you should test those larger and fast bedslingers with a tall print, like a vase with constant gemoetric details from bottom to top and see how the quality deteriorates as the height increases due to wobbling of both bed and Z axis. It's too convenient to test those printers with just short benchies, people may buy those for the build volume and speed yet those printers won't deliver as things get tall. Same for testing the AMS on top: bigger print to see how it impacts quality with speed to make it wobble and taller to see how that increase with height. It's a terrible idea to put 6kg of stuff on top of a badslinger yet without it both the A1s take an awful amount of space for poo + printer + AMS.
While I agree that bedslingers aren’t the best for tall prints, especially skinny ones, Bambu is t the only one making a fast bedslinger. And let’s face it unless your making a lot of cosplay armor and weapons your probably only using about half of the build volume about half or more of the time. I don’t think this printer is focused on experienced seasoned printers, I think they are focusing on entry customers or relatively new to 3D printing. And the fact that you get multicolor printing for around 550 bucks is pretty darn cheap. A p1s with AMS is almost double the price of the A1 with AMS lite. And it appears like there are multiple ports on the back so in theory future firmware updates could unlock multiple AMS lite units. At the end of the day it’s a bed slinger, but it is direct competition to the other manufacturers.
Your assessment is sound. The motion compensation needs to be based on bed heights given the z axis compliance - stiffness issues. If I were Bambu Labs, I would certainly add your suggestions to the calibration routine to show their total understanding of this issue which you address well.
@@AuroraTech Exactly, If I recall that was quite a slow print at 50mm/s with hi flow and yet it showed artifacts. That's why it would be interesting to see fast printers like this A1 to print something tall with the bed moving so fast, maybe a geometrical vase mode with standard line width at hi speeds. It would be also good to test consistency of flow and vertical lines on the whole Z axis extension. I'm afraid that people see these cheap hi speed bedslingers and may come to belive that they are as good as the more expensive coreXY: they are not when you print tall, but usually they show you just short benchies.
Those multilateral prints really stand out vs the single color prints in other reviews... as do the ones other makers are posting. I think Bambu is really clever to push their AMS so aggressively, it's really enticing.
Wonderful review, WOW we are getting some great new choices for 2024. Enjoy your holidays and THANK YOU all for giving us such value. I thought it was awesome to see processors in the extruder. Its like putting brains in the gripper of a robot. D
Just Another amazing job. You are my hero. I'd still like to see some extended use and maintenance videos in the future. They're almost all great out of the box... But what happens a year after daily use? How to fix the slop after they get worn in a little. And what models are the Easiest, cheapest and best to maintain...
Interesting. I know that Bambu was using their own proprietary firmware and all. But, it is pretty surprising to know to know how low spec their MCUs are given how capable the machine is.
To be fair I can do a 21minutes benchy on an Ender3 with Marlin, Klipper is better but if you go through the hassle of updating, re calibrate and upgrade cooling and extrusion then Marlin is pretty much capable to drive a bedslinger at 250mm/s with a standard board.
@@omegadeepblue1407 But be aware: it takes me 3 times to tune Marlin than Klipper and results are inferior. Eeeh but good enough and worth the trouble if it's an old printer.
@@eaman11 i know but people loves optimizing things, just look at apple that bases all what they do by optimization (not saying what they are doing is good, but is usable)
Exceptional review and testing mythology. Great internal electronic and firmware details are not a typical review topic, but were very educational. It would be a useful feature if could have a multi-color printer like the BambuLab (with AMS) dedicate the purged filament to another printed object where the color banding would not matter. Having this choice would seem much less wasteful. There are many "utility" type prints where what color, or having color-banding would not matter.
Good review, as usual. The bed temp is a non-issue: you'd never print high temp plastics on a open air printer anyway. On a personal note, I don't need a better open air bed slinger, I need a XL version of the X1C.
As much as I agree with you Bambu is being smart here and after scooping up market share and causing a ruckus with the legacy manufacturers on speed, print quality, ease of use, and cost with the x and p series they are now focusing on entry level customers. I have to imagine the other manufacturers are again scrambling to meet the Bambu entry level printers. Hopefully this time next year they will offer the next gen flagship core xy printer with larger build volume.
@@shawnhicks619The only printers I haven't replaced with BL are my CR10Pros and CR6Maxs because of the volume, but it's itching me and the more I use my BLs the more I hate my high maintenance CRs. I was even contemplating buying a few $5K machines from other brands to replace them until BL came along (thank god they did!).
Hey Aurora! Just found you guys afyer having to change printers. Just have to say that you have such an amazing speaking voice, perfect for presentation of anything...you should look into reading audiobooks.. seriously. I could listen to you all day! Thanks for this look at the A1...i just bought my first printer, the Elegoo Neptune 4 plus thinking as a first time user amd complete noob to it all, that was a good choice... unfortunately after printing the benchy, and a test flower pot, the third amd fourth trial prints were complete disasters with the last one totally wrecking the hot end and extruder, as i left it overnight and it jammed itself up so bad it's unrepairable. Luckily Amazon takes returns so easily! So i ordered the A1 instead as i dont want to be a 3D printer engineer just to use it...i want ease of use, and quality and this looked to fit that. Your video here helped assure me of it and i hope you do more on the A1....like upgrades , settings etc! Thanks so much, you guys are fantastic
Awesome and thorough review as always!!! I think in the first layer test what might've caused the squishing are those 2 little tabs at the back at the print bed, some people seem to be having problems with it because it is so small and sometimes the bed just stays over it
29:40 That's obviously less than 100°C . I have not found any other reviewers of the 120 V AC machine that bothered to actually measure the bed temperature. Well done! Did you ask Bambulab about this ?
Thanks these videos are really useful. I have never done 3d printing but might buy a printer soon. I am mostly trying to compare price vs features and the reviews of the bambulabs printers are really helpful.
I will going to buy it to replace my two Ender 3 first generation because I need a multicolor printer and it's a good price despite that I can't use it for printing with more technical filaments that I can use it on my (always broken) K1. I was thinking to spend more money on the X1C with AMS but I will wait for this after Xmas because I will like to have more real opinions from normal people who reached to get one before taking the decision to buy it.
Love your reviews as always! I feel the same way about the wheels but recently heard the Construct 3D guys say that in all their testing linear rods actually wear out faster. Found that interesting. Personally I haven't put enough time onto any 1 printer to wear out a rail.
My order arrived - non ams. I was surprised how light the base was compared to the cr10se. So far it prints well. I feel my x1c is more consistent. I am not fond of the spool holder. I feel it’s a bit flimsy- it’s attaches solidly, but the “branch” the spool fits on seems flimsy. I wish Bambu did something different for their hotend cable and ptfe tube management. Not terrible, but feel something else could have been done. X rail is a little crunchy, and the hotend cable management box on the base cracked some where the z cable passed through as well as the clip that attaches to the base. I was gentle and careful. Not a big deal, however be careful. Also watch out when you put the base cover back one as the rear clip flexed outward and could have been snapped off if I hadn’t noticed. 3D printers are getting even closer to an appliance compared to my ender 3 days.
Same here. I wasn't sure about the mini because of its small print volume. The other bambu lab machines are too expensive for the use I have. So when this one appeared, I didn't hesitate.
waiting for this week s video.. in my country prices way too high its hard to choose which one to get in daily use. dont want to regret it after buying. b budget bambu series out of stock.. thank you for the reviews.. keep going.. 🙏
As I'm watching this video I get an email from MicroCenter that this printer is available in all stores today. 😄 I'm not in the position to need another printer, but Bambu Lab is the first place I'll look in the future I think.
Thanks! And another good news about the printer, it's finally available in EU without the AMS, right from the start. I think even a month after release, it was only the combo available in the EU. Good thing I didn't get the mini back then because I'm getting this one now. It even says it's shipping before Christmas.
I just checked Bambus website. The machine is rated for 1300 W in Europe, and only 350 W in the US. This probably explains the difference in heat bed temperature.
@@AuroraTech Maybe you could do a quick test? The community is pretty confused about this! You could buy a 110-240v voltage converter and try to see how the same machine performs on 230v. (Go with a 1500 W unit) I believe the machine is compatible with all voltage, just check what it says on the backside where you connect the power plug.
this is a purge tower, it is mandatory and added automatically by the slicer to do the transitions from 1 filament to the other during multicolor prints. It has to do a tower so that the print-purge tower keeps it's height at print head level for the layer where it is needed :)
Hey Aurora, since you seem to know a lot about 3d printers, I was wondering if you have any print recommendations/favorite topics, I think that would be enjoyed by many new tinkerers and veterans a like. Much thanks.
I wonder since the sizzle has some height to it if time could be saved by for example with the alpaca printing each leg 3ish layers before the next one
Excellent review👍👍. There was no mention of the new zero waste AMS from Ankermake though🤔. So, it seems BL is replacing P1P with A1, trying to fix the price parity with P1S. Still would have liked, some improvement to reducing waste with multicolor printing. They could actually do an image analysis patch to choose purging amount at start of a specific print. It should not have taken much effort though. Seems like they were in a rush to fix the reduced bed volume, and the toy like appeal of A1 mini leading to reduced sales.😊❤👍
Received my A1 Mini a few days ago since I ordered it the day before this was teased. Trying to decide if I should keep the A1 Mini, or return it (eating the shipping costs) and buy the A1 instead. This is my first 3D printer and the biggest issue I had with the Mini was the bed size.
Once you get into this hobby, you are definitely not going to have just one printer for everything. The A1 Mini is actually ranked #1 on my recommendation list, while the A1 is ranked #3. Check out the list at auroratechchannel.com
Great video. Any idea of how much depth the printer needs in order to move properly? Concern about the real estate needed since I am very much limited in its location. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your reply. That might be a deal killer for me. Thinking it might make more sense to go for the A1 mini. It's my first 3D printer so, just for convenience it might be a better option. @@AuroraTech
Hello and thank you for this superb video, I also own an A1, can you tell me 2 things? 1) why does the print head remove after the 2nd layer at the rear left of the plate to then resume printing? 2) How can we modify the fan speeds in bambu studio because even in filament + edit the speed it doesn't change anything, I run at 80% all the time, thank you very much...
I'm trying to decide on my first 3d printer. I'm fluctuating between the A1-MINI and this larger A1. I like them both but the mini seems to have consistently slightly better quality prints than the larger A1 according to reviews I'm wondering if the difference in quality is because the A1-mini uses linear Y rails and the larger A1 does not. Or, perhaps the larger A1 will require a better firmware update? Hmmm, decisions. I'm unsure yet if I'll really need the larger print volume or if I'll be disappointed being constrained to 180mm cubed. However, if the larger A1 will improve it's print quality over time from a firmware update then I should get the larger A1, but of course that is an unknown. I don't plan to purchase until mid to late January, so I'll be watching for updates from bambu until then. 😊 Thoughts?
I have enjoyed the reviews on this channel very much. I am hoping to see the ability of remote control for the printers. The ability to monitor the printer over mobile phones. Many people need to be away from the printer during the print time. It would be imported to be able to cancel the print, or shut down the printer, remotely if something goes wrong. I haven't seen 3D printer reviews covering this area.
Just got this printer and so far impressed. I have a LulzBot Mini 2 that’s likely to become my secondary printer. Question for those who have this or the Mini. Do you enable bed levelling with each print? What about IS calibration?
There is no better reviewer on UA-cam when it comes to 3d printers . I value and appreciate your candor and detail . Ty for your work . ❤️🙏🏻 we are all one
Exceptional review as always. If Bambu ever delivers a larger build volume with a heated enclosure I think everyone else can just go home..
I love the consistency and unflinching criticisms that you are known for. Keep up the good work, young ones, and may you be well-rewarded for it.
Always enjoy seeing another review from you. You do a wonderful job at testing and objectively ranking products without bias.
Yeah, we really need an open source AMS alternative for Klipper this year. I got a few old extruder in storage that would be perfect to drive a filament changer.
With so many reviews of the A1 all being released around 9AM this morning, yours is the first I am going to watch....and then will probably skim through all the others because most of them are no where near as compressive as your review.
Your reviews are the best, by far. Lots of really useful information to understand the full potential of the printer and help in deciding on a possible purchase.
As a person who's never used a 3D printer but is considering buying one, this is one of the best reviews I have seen of the A1. I am really trying to figure out what I need to get started and this goes a long way to showing me what I need to consider. Bambu has a lot of accessories on their website for this printer and I am trying to learn more before making a purchase so that I get what I need to get started. Thank you.
I don’t know which I am more impressed with: the quality of the review or the quality of your speech.
I admire the sensible, formal approach that you take to these reviews. Thank you.
I love this. Instead of just talking about the printer with some random images, you are showing how the printer is doing and put them through the stress test. Your review style should be the standard. I even learned about the temps and settings and see it in time lapse how it was doing. Also the noise sample you got, it's like no other youtubers dare to record it and play it back at the real level.
the more you do the review, the more I don't know which one to buy... but after saw your review with this bambu lab A1, you just make my choice easier... thank you for your good review and presentation. I don't find any reviewer better than you and your brother...
Having just ordered the A1 from Bambu with their Black Friday discount I have been binging A1 reviews and how-to's here on YT. Your video here is the best I've seen. It's thorough, informative and may I say you have a great professional voice. You enunciate well and are very understandable. I'll be subscribing to your channel.
I really enjoy your in depth reviews - always fair, rational and based on the facts not the marketing hype.
It is simply satisfying to rely on you and Helios to explain and review new printers w/r others out there. That said, Bambu Labs is such a force in this 3D printer space that wonder how the other makers are feeling. Given your reviews, these others makers can't rely on marketing specs to gain sales because of your reviews exist. Your work: Aurora Tech - "out of this world".
I just got mine. My first 3D Printer ever. I’m excited!
Thorough review on a more detailed level than anywhere else. Keep it up!
The most detailed A1 review ever. Other A1 reviews are just mention about "Colour printing wastes too much filament. period" but Aurora Tech shows that more objects on the bed, waste less filament than a single object. Great job!
You & your brother are the best reviewers for 3d printers I've watched you from the start. Your tests are spot on & your opinions are genuine thank you 👌
This is the best review video I have ever watched! Concise and informative on everything you need to know, exactly how it should be. Well done to you and Thank you!
As always the most detailed test currently on UA-cam. Great job!
Aurora, with the greatest respect, I really think you should do a “review” with one of your friends that knows nothing about 3D printing. Box it all up, give them the box and see how easy it is for someone who doesn’t have your knowledge to set it up and start printing. Even with the A1 mini which is even more of an entry printer, no one has done a video like this and it would be good to know. It’s like professional race car drivers reviewing and explaining a power wheels kids toy to other race car drivers, when they should be gearing it towards children.
I want my friend (who has never 3D printed before) to buy an A1 or A1 mini and I want to send him a video about the printer but I feel the videos out already have too much “knowledge” in them for a beginner. For example, you open up the video with looking at and describing the mother board chips and talking about Klipper, when they would have zero idea what that is. Food for thought!
So it's not a miracle machine, but it produces good quality with lots of features at an overall reasonable price. Thanks for your thorough and honest reviews, as always!
For those of us in the hobby for 10+ years, this might as well be a miracle machine. I know many people have only begun their journey 2-3 years ago so this machine doesn't seem impressive, but in mid 2010s you'd be lucky to get a machine 90% slower than this for 10X the price.
@@actualreplyguy Oh heck yeah. It's amazing how far it has come. I didn't get into it for a long time because of the expense and time consumption, but a $99 Ender 3 Pro finally tempted me. I only meant compared to the current market. It's overall quite impressive.
Another great review. Straight to the point. 🤩
I can see hobbyists getting this printer. Great addition for a line, if you print masks and armour pieces, for example.
The main downsides for me are the max bed temp, the fact that I can't manually adjust what I need in the printer itself and having to keep this printer online (this last one goes for all BL printers)
As someone who does not presently have a 3D printer, but is looking to buy one at some time, I am watching many video reviews, to find out what would be the most suitable printer for me. I will say that, out of all the reviews and reviewers I have seen, I find Aurora Trch Channel to be the best! She is very clear about her views on each printer, giving the pros and cons without any favouritism. She tests everything with similar methods to come to a clear decision. I enjoy watching the videos here, and have to admit that I am seriously considering the A1 mini at this time! Thanks for your great channel!
Friend of mine said, I’m looking for a printer for 2 years already. I spent too much time on watching videos about it, I might as well buy it and stop wasting time 😂
The most trusted source of 3d printer reviews on all of UA-cam, by far. Thanks Aurora!!
This is the best 3d printing channel, hands down.
Exceptionally talented and professional-this is one of the best, if not the best, channels I've ever seen. I trust your insights more than those of many engineers and online sources.
This is the best A1 review video I’ve seen, well done very informative
Best review of A1 on UA-cam
i personally like the printable vertical AMS lite stand, reduces the footprint, makes the hygrometer mount sit nicely on it and then you can also add tower caps to each number so you can see exactly what color syncs to each number
There's a mismatch here. Their website shows the bed can go up to 100 C. But Aurora and CNC kitchen are saying it goes only up to 80 C
I can use the screen to set it to 100°C, but the actual measured temperature of the heated bed only reaches up to 81-82°C. Therefore, I would say the maximum temperature is still 80°C.
Maybe there is a software issue 🤔
CNC Kitchen also confirmed that bamboo says it was an error in marketing material. It’s 100 C.
@@Eric_In_SF Aurora Tech channel tested it and measured the temp. They set it to 100 C but only got to 81 C
@@elleryfg7853 CNC Kitchen measured it to go close to 100C. Maybe a recent firmware upgrade allowed it to go all the way to 100C.
Great review, Thanks. I am waiting for mine to arrive. One thing someone mentioned was that the AMS uses a non-standard sized filament reels. This causes problems if you want to use non-BambuLabs reels, but you can get an STL file for an printable adapter for various sized reels. Still, the one constant with computers is so many standards to choose from, and BambuLabs has added a new one. Thanks again.
I did well to wait 9 months before buying it, Bambulab will certainly not ignore the hardware improvements that this test will suggest to him. Very good video that removes any ambiguity on the possibility of using this printer with technical materials requiring a plate temperature higher than 80 °. Those who sell us enclosures for this machine claiming that it will be possible to print these materials as with the Carbon X1, are misleading us.
I wonder if their software is going to support using purge material as infill. Also thank you for this no shenanigans content, yours is the one I always watch and don't have to suffer from extra drama, clickbait titles, waiting times.. (I hate waiting)
Great review! I will have to give Voxel filaments a try.
Aurora you should test those larger and fast bedslingers with a tall print, like a vase with constant gemoetric details from bottom to top and see how the quality deteriorates as the height increases due to wobbling of both bed and Z axis. It's too convenient to test those printers with just short benchies, people may buy those for the build volume and speed yet those printers won't deliver as things get tall.
Same for testing the AMS on top: bigger print to see how it impacts quality with speed to make it wobble and taller to see how that increase with height. It's a terrible idea to put 6kg of stuff on top of a badslinger yet without it both the A1s take an awful amount of space for poo + printer + AMS.
While I agree that bedslingers aren’t the best for tall prints, especially skinny ones, Bambu is t the only one making a fast bedslinger. And let’s face it unless your making a lot of cosplay armor and weapons your probably only using about half of the build volume about half or more of the time. I don’t think this printer is focused on experienced seasoned printers, I think they are focusing on entry customers or relatively new to 3D printing. And the fact that you get multicolor printing for around 550 bucks is pretty darn cheap. A p1s with AMS is almost double the price of the A1 with AMS lite. And it appears like there are multiple ports on the back so in theory future firmware updates could unlock multiple AMS lite units. At the end of the day it’s a bed slinger, but it is direct competition to the other manufacturers.
Your assessment is sound. The motion compensation needs to be based on bed heights given the z axis compliance - stiffness issues. If I were Bambu Labs, I would certainly add your suggestions to the calibration routine to show their total understanding of this issue which you address well.
Yes, I printed 500mm tall models with the AnyCubic Kobra 2 Max and Elegoo Neptune 4 Max in my previous review videos.
@@AuroraTech Exactly, If I recall that was quite a slow print at 50mm/s with hi flow and yet it showed artifacts.
That's why it would be interesting to see fast printers like this A1 to print something tall with the bed moving so fast, maybe a geometrical vase mode with standard line width at hi speeds. It would be also good to test consistency of flow and vertical lines on the whole Z axis extension.
I'm afraid that people see these cheap hi speed bedslingers and may come to belive that they are as good as the more expensive coreXY: they are not when you print tall, but usually they show you just short benchies.
5:53 Are you using ultimaker printer as filament storages? 😅
Those multilateral prints really stand out vs the single color prints in other reviews... as do the ones other makers are posting. I think Bambu is really clever to push their AMS so aggressively, it's really enticing.
Incredibly thorough review! Thank you ☺️
Fantastic review as always, thanks for keeping up the good work!
Wonderful review, WOW we are getting some great new choices for 2024. Enjoy your holidays and THANK YOU all for giving us such value. I thought it was awesome to see processors in the extruder. Its like putting brains in the gripper of a robot. D
Just Another amazing job.
You are my hero.
I'd still like to see some extended use and maintenance videos in the future.
They're almost all great out of the box... But what happens a year after daily use?
How to fix the slop after they get worn in a little. And what models are the Easiest, cheapest and best to maintain...
I can't wait to see where you and your brother will be in another 10 years.
Just inspirational.
Interesting. I know that Bambu was using their own proprietary firmware and all. But, it is pretty surprising to know to know how low spec their MCUs are given how capable the machine is.
To be fair I can do a 21minutes benchy on an Ender3 with Marlin, Klipper is better but if you go through the hassle of updating, re calibrate and upgrade cooling and extrusion then Marlin is pretty much capable to drive a bedslinger at 250mm/s with a standard board.
@@eaman11yeah, optimization makes grrat results
@@omegadeepblue1407 But be aware: it takes me 3 times to tune Marlin than Klipper and results are inferior. Eeeh but good enough and worth the trouble if it's an old printer.
@@eaman11 i know but people loves optimizing things, just look at apple that bases all what they do by optimization (not saying what they are doing is good, but is usable)
This was so enjoyably thorough! Thanks and keep up the good work.
Exceptional review and testing mythology. Great internal electronic and firmware details are not a typical review topic, but were very educational.
It would be a useful feature if could have a multi-color printer like the BambuLab (with AMS) dedicate the purged filament to another printed object where the color banding would not matter. Having this choice would seem much less wasteful. There are many "utility" type prints where what color, or having color-banding would not matter.
Ordered the A1 this morning :) Btw....Loved you review
Good review, as usual. The bed temp is a non-issue: you'd never print high temp plastics on a open air printer anyway.
On a personal note, I don't need a better open air bed slinger, I need a XL version of the X1C.
As much as I agree with you Bambu is being smart here and after scooping up market share and causing a ruckus with the legacy manufacturers on speed, print quality, ease of use, and cost with the x and p series they are now focusing on entry level customers. I have to imagine the other manufacturers are again scrambling to meet the Bambu entry level printers. Hopefully this time next year they will offer the next gen flagship core xy printer with larger build volume.
@@shawnhicks619The only printers I haven't replaced with BL are my CR10Pros and CR6Maxs because of the volume, but it's itching me and the more I use my BLs the more I hate my high maintenance CRs.
I was even contemplating buying a few $5K machines from other brands to replace them until BL came along (thank god they did!).
Hey Aurora! Just found you guys afyer having to change printers. Just have to say that you have such an amazing speaking voice, perfect for presentation of anything...you should look into reading audiobooks.. seriously. I could listen to you all day!
Thanks for this look at the A1...i just bought my first printer, the Elegoo Neptune 4 plus thinking as a first time user amd complete noob to it all, that was a good choice... unfortunately after printing the benchy, and a test flower pot, the third amd fourth trial prints were complete disasters with the last one totally wrecking the hot end and extruder, as i left it overnight and it jammed itself up so bad it's unrepairable. Luckily Amazon takes returns so easily! So i ordered the A1 instead as i dont want to be a 3D printer engineer just to use it...i want ease of use, and quality and this looked to fit that.
Your video here helped assure me of it and i hope you do more on the A1....like upgrades , settings etc!
Thanks so much, you guys are fantastic
Looks like a perfect printer for small decorative products with multiple colour option
Thank you for your reviews!
Good voice, good review, good 3d printing life !
Your reviews are the best on youtube! thank you!
Awesome and thorough review as always!!! I think in the first layer test what might've caused the squishing are those 2 little tabs at the back at the print bed, some people seem to be having problems with it because it is so small and sometimes the bed just stays over it
29:40 That's obviously less than 100°C . I have not found any other reviewers of the 120 V AC machine that bothered to actually measure the bed temperature. Well done! Did you ask Bambulab about this ?
Yes, I'm still in communication about this. The 120V machines at their office can heat up to 100°C. Still checking what's wrong with mine.
Thanks these videos are really useful. I have never done 3d printing but might buy a printer soon. I am mostly trying to compare price vs features and the reviews of the bambulabs printers are really helpful.
Please also check out my website, auroratechchannel.com, for price and specs comparisons of different 3D printers and a recommendation list.
I will going to buy it to replace my two Ender 3 first generation because I need a multicolor printer and it's a good price despite that I can't use it for printing with more technical filaments that I can use it on my (always broken) K1. I was thinking to spend more money on the X1C with AMS but I will wait for this after Xmas because I will like to have more real opinions from normal people who reached to get one before taking the decision to buy it.
Love the hello kitty army! Thank you for this very thorough review. This review is the best one out there for A1.
Love your reviews as always! I feel the same way about the wheels but recently heard the Construct 3D guys say that in all their testing linear rods actually wear out faster. Found that interesting. Personally I haven't put enough time onto any 1 printer to wear out a rail.
wow! why don't this video show up at top at the list when searching for "a1", so informative and clear.
What an amazingly detailed review! Well done
Well done young lady. Great vid..
My order arrived - non ams. I was surprised how light the base was compared to the cr10se. So far it prints well. I feel my x1c is more consistent. I am not fond of the spool holder. I feel it’s a bit flimsy- it’s attaches solidly, but the “branch” the spool fits on seems flimsy. I wish Bambu did something different for their hotend cable and ptfe tube management. Not terrible, but feel something else could have been done. X rail is a little crunchy, and the hotend cable management box on the base cracked some where the z cable passed through as well as the clip that attaches to the base. I was gentle and careful. Not a big deal, however be careful. Also watch out when you put the base cover back one as the rear clip flexed outward and could have been snapped off if I hadn’t noticed. 3D printers are getting even closer to an appliance compared to my ender 3 days.
Another excellent and thorough review. Thank you.
Pulling the trigger on the A1 as an upgrade to my old modded ender 3 V2 that’s been modded to hell and back. Great review
Same here. I wasn't sure about the mini because of its small print volume. The other bambu lab machines are too expensive for the use I have. So when this one appeared, I didn't hesitate.
Awesome review, thank you very much!
waiting for this week s video.. in my country prices way too high its hard to choose which one to get in daily use. dont want to regret it after buying. b budget bambu series out of stock.. thank you for the reviews.. keep going.. 🙏
As I'm watching this video I get an email from MicroCenter that this printer is available in all stores today. 😄 I'm not in the position to need another printer, but Bambu Lab is the first place I'll look in the future I think.
Excellent and detailed review.
Thanks! And another good news about the printer, it's finally available in EU without the AMS, right from the start. I think even a month after release, it was only the combo available in the EU. Good thing I didn't get the mini back then because I'm getting this one now. It even says it's shipping before Christmas.
I just checked Bambus website. The machine is rated for 1300 W in Europe, and only 350 W in the US. This probably explains the difference in heat bed temperature.
Perhaps the 220V version can heat up to 100°C, but my 110V machine can only reach 80°C, even when I manually set it to 100°C using the screen.
@@AuroraTech Maybe you could do a quick test? The community is pretty confused about this!
You could buy a 110-240v voltage converter and try to see how the same machine performs on 230v. (Go with a 1500 W unit)
I believe the machine is compatible with all voltage, just check what it says on the backside where you connect the power plug.
I’m told there’s an update that allows the bed to reach 100 degrees C now?
Ooh.. I’m saving up to buy myself something during the holidays. I mainly print in PLA, so this and the P1S seems like good contenders
I bought the a1 mini because of your opinion!
Another Great Informative Honest Review. Keep Up the Great Work.🎉
When you printed the figures, what is the square block printed in the back? Did you manually insert that block there? Or was it placed by the A1?
this is a purge tower, it is mandatory and added automatically by the slicer to do the transitions from 1 filament to the other during multicolor prints.
It has to do a tower so that the print-purge tower keeps it's height at print head level for the layer where it is needed :)
Very nice and comprehensive review.
Yet another wonderfull review!
Hey Aurora, since you seem to know a lot about 3d printers, I was wondering if you have any print recommendations/favorite topics, I think that would be enjoyed by many new tinkerers and veterans a like.
Much thanks.
Great job pointing out the reasons the machine can't run Klipper and that their firmware isn't just a klipper copy.
waiting for mine good job Aurora
Bit of a correction here its not overshot corners and its not flow calibration. Its pressure advance k value and there is a separate calibration tool.
I wonder since the sizzle has some height to it if time could be saved by for example with the alpaca printing each leg 3ish layers before the next one
Another wonderful review!
you know you are a fan of the channel when you play their soundtracks on a Sunday morning while making breakfast 😂
Always like your reviews
Good morning, thanks for the review.
Nice to see Helios on the public side of the camera and not just playing piano in the background! :)
hey Aurora it's 220 for nozzle a bit a high???? I print with voxel and use the 210 or 213c...Is the higher temp because of the speed?
Excellent review👍👍. There was no mention of the new zero waste AMS from Ankermake though🤔.
So, it seems BL is replacing P1P with A1, trying to fix the price parity with P1S. Still would have liked, some improvement to reducing waste with multicolor printing. They could actually do an image analysis patch to choose purging amount at start of a specific print. It should not have taken much effort though. Seems like they were in a rush to fix the reduced bed volume, and the toy like appeal of A1 mini leading to reduced sales.😊❤👍
Am I mistaken in my understanding that the Flow Calibration option only works with the LADAR equipped Bambu printers, all 1 of them?
Received my A1 Mini a few days ago since I ordered it the day before this was teased. Trying to decide if I should keep the A1 Mini, or return it (eating the shipping costs) and buy the A1 instead. This is my first 3D printer and the biggest issue I had with the Mini was the bed size.
Once you get into this hobby, you are definitely not going to have just one printer for everything. The A1 Mini is actually ranked #1 on my recommendation list, while the A1 is ranked #3. Check out the list at auroratechchannel.com
@@AuroraTech Thank you so much for the reply! I really value your opinion - your channel is amazing.
Well done, truly complete review, as always.
Just a note, bambu lab bed specs say 100°?!
Great video. Any idea of how much depth the printer needs in order to move properly? Concern about the real estate needed since I am very much limited in its location. Thank you!
Same question here... please
A depth of 22 inches would be ideal, including enough room for the heated bed cable to move freely.
Thank you so much for your reply. That might be a deal killer for me. Thinking it might make more sense to go for the A1 mini. It's my first 3D printer so, just for convenience it might be a better option. @@AuroraTech
Amazing review thanks! When you say "a little cleanup", do you mean you re sanding to remove the layers or do you have another technique?
Hello and thank you for this superb video, I also own an A1, can you tell me 2 things?
1) why does the print head remove after the 2nd layer at the rear left of the plate to then resume printing?
2) How can we modify the fan speeds in bambu studio because even in filament + edit the speed it doesn't change anything, I run at 80% all the time, thank you very much...
The 80°C max bed temp would be a show stopper for me as I use ABS a lot
Apparently that was an error in the documentation and it can actually go to 100°C.
I'm trying to decide on my first 3d printer. I'm fluctuating between the A1-MINI and this larger A1.
I like them both but the mini seems to have consistently slightly better quality prints than the larger A1 according to reviews
I'm wondering if the difference in quality is because the A1-mini uses linear Y rails and the larger A1 does not. Or, perhaps the larger A1 will require a better firmware update?
Hmmm, decisions. I'm unsure yet if I'll really need the larger print volume or if I'll be disappointed being constrained to 180mm cubed.
However, if the larger A1 will improve it's print quality over time from a firmware update then I should get the larger A1, but of course that is an unknown.
I don't plan to purchase until mid to late January, so I'll be watching for updates from bambu until then. 😊
Thoughts?
I have enjoyed the reviews on this channel very much. I am hoping to see the ability of remote control for the printers. The ability to monitor the printer over mobile phones. Many people need to be away from the printer during the print time. It would be imported to be able to cancel the print, or shut down the printer, remotely if something goes wrong. I haven't seen 3D printer reviews covering this area.
Another excellent review.
Just got this printer and so far impressed. I have a LulzBot Mini 2 that’s likely to become my secondary printer. Question for those who have this or the Mini. Do you enable bed levelling with each print? What about IS calibration?