Bambu Lab P1S + AMS 2 Pro Combo: Is It Worth It?
3 November 2026 · 5 min read · NE3D Printing
The P1S AMS 2 Pro combo is the most-asked-about pairing we get, and for good reason: it's the most affordable way into enclosed, multi-colour, dry-filament printing without stepping up to an X1 or H2 series machine. But "combo" means different things depending on where you buy, and the AMS 2 Pro isn't a straight swap for the older AMS on a P1-series printer. Here's what actually matters before you commit.
What you're actually buying
The Bambu Lab P1S is an enclosed CoreXY machine with a 256 × 256 × 256 mm build volume, a hardened steel 0.4 mm nozzle as standard, a hotend rated to 300 °C and a bed that reaches 100 °C. Top speed is quoted at 500 mm/s with 20,000 mm/s² acceleration — you won't print everything that fast, but a 20-minute Benchy is routine.
The AMS 2 Pro is the four-spool automatic material system that bolts that into multi-colour and multi-material work. The headline change over the original AMS is active drying: a heated, sealed chamber that runs up to roughly 65 °C with a built-in humidity sensor, rather than relying on desiccant alone.
One thing to check on any listing: P1-series machines need the X/P AMS 2 Pro Upgrade Kit to run an AMS 2 Pro. Most combos bundle it. If you're assembling the combo yourself from separate items, it's not optional.
Does active drying actually matter in Australia?
Yes, and more than most buyers expect. Brisbane, Darwin and coastal NSW sit at humidity levels that will ruin an open spool of PETG or TPU inside a fortnight. Wet filament prints with stringing, popping noises, poor layer adhesion and a rough surface finish — and once it's wet, no slicer setting fixes it.
The passive AMS holds desiccant that keeps dry filament dry. The AMS 2 Pro actively pulls moisture back out of filament that's already gone off. Practically, that means your PETG and TPU stay printable between projects instead of becoming a recycling problem. It's not a universal dryer, though — 65 °C handles PLA, PETG and TPU comfortably, but nylons and some CF-filled engineering materials want 80 °C+, which is where an AMS HT (single spool, around 85 °C) or a standalone SUNLU S2 filament dryer earns its place.
P1S combo vs the alternatives
| Option | Enclosed | Multi-material unit | Active drying | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 + AMS lite | No | 4 spools, open | No | PLA and PETG, lowest entry cost |
| P1S + AMS 2 Pro | Yes | 4 spools, sealed | Yes (~65 °C) | ABS/ASA plus multi-colour, best value |
| P2S AMS Combo | Yes | 4 spools, sealed | Yes | Newer platform, buy-once simplicity |
The enclosure is the real dividing line. An open A1 will print PLA beautifully and will fight you on ABS and ASA, which warp and delaminate in a draught. If you only ever print PLA display pieces, save the money. If you want functional parts that live in a hot car boot or outdoors in Australian sun, you want the enclosure.
Buy the combo, or the printer first?
Buying the combo is almost always cheaper than buying both parts separately, so if you know you want multi-colour, buy it together. Buy the P1S alone if:
- You're new to printing and want to learn single-colour workflow first. The AMS can be added any time with the upgrade kit.
- Your work is mostly functional single-colour parts — the AMS adds print time and waste you'd never use.
- Budget is tight this quarter and you'd rather put the difference into filament and a spare hotend.
The real cost of multi-colour
Every colour change purges the nozzle. Expect roughly 1–5 g of waste per change depending on how far apart the colours are — dark to light costs the most. A four-colour model with hundreds of changes can easily burn more filament in purge than in the part itself. Two habits fix most of it: order colours light-to-dark in the slicer where you can, and turn on flush-into-infill and flush-into-object so purge material ends up somewhere useful.
Print time also climbs. A model that takes two hours in one colour can take five or six in four. Plan overnight runs accordingly.
Materials and settings worth knowing
With the enclosure and 300 °C hotend, the P1S handles the practical range well: PLA at 190–230 °C with a 35–60 °C bed, PETG at 230–260 °C with the bed at 70–80 °C, and ABS/ASA at 255–280 °C with the bed at 90–100 °C and the door shut. For ABS and ASA indoors, a smoke purifier is a sensible addition.
Dissolvable and breakaway supports are where the AMS pays off twice — Support for PLA/PETG in slot four gives you clean overhangs without scarring. For everyday bulk printing, local 1 kg PLA+ spools keep running costs down; keep a couple of Bambu PLA Basic or PLA Matte spools for colour-matched work.
What to buy
Most people: the P1S with the AMS 2 Pro. It's the best value-for-capability point Bambu currently sells, it prints every common material, and active drying removes the single biggest cause of failed prints in a humid climate.
PLA only, tight budget: A1 + AMS lite. Excellent prints, no enclosure, less money.
Buying once for the next five years: the P2S AMS Combo — newer platform, nothing to retrofit.
Already own a P1S: add the AMS 2 Pro plus the X/P upgrade kit. While you're in there, a hardened steel extruder gear assembly is cheap insurance if you print CF or GF filaments, and an AMS Hub lets you chain a second unit later for eight-colour work.
