Technologies

Anycubic Kobra Go 3D Printer Review: An Expert and a Novice Weigh-In

The price is right for beginners, but the setup feels more appropriate for intermediate 3D printing hobbyists.

Anycubic’s updated 3D printer lineup has impressed us this year, with products like the Kobra Max and the Photon M3. Another new addition, the $200 Kobra Go, is an ambitious attempt to crack the budget 3D printer code.

8.0

Anycubic Kobra Go

$200 at Amazon

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Like

Auto-bed-leveling for $200
Removable build plate
Excellent price

Don’t Like

The manual can be hard to read
Needs fine-tuning from the start

While I’m an advanced 3D printer user, this is a product aimed at beginners, so I also asked my colleague Russell Holly to test the Kobra Go and compare it to other budget 3D printers he’s tried, such as the Anycubic Kobra. I’m including his observations alongside my own.

Some assembly required

The Kobra Go is shipped in semikit form. That means while you will have to put together a lot of the mechanical pieces, you don’t have to run cables or use any tools apart from the included hex wrenches.

The upside of a kit is that you can learn what all the pieces are, and to some degree what they do, as you build it, though the manual doesn’t go into too much detail. The assembly is certainly something that can be done by just about anyone, and is worth the time because it introduces you to some pretty advanced features.

Russell: Anycubic’s general ease of use and even greater ease of repair is frequently marred by less-than-stellar instruction manuals, and the Kobra Go is no exception. User error aside (I admit to missing a page in the manual, which was totally on me) the manual regularly changes the perspective of the printer when trying to show you how to connect different pieces, causing the user to stop multiple times to confirm it’s not being installed backward.

It’s not that the instructions are unreadable, in fact far from it, but there’s a lot of room for improvement given the audience these printers are aiming for. I would go so far as to suggest a video demonstration for first-time 3D printer owners would be appropriate for something like this.

It’s still a $200 3D printer (with extras)

While most 3D printers in the $180 to $220 range are pretty similar in terms of print quality, the addition of auto-bed-leveling at this price is a compelling selling point for the Kobra Go. I’ve said many times that ABL should become the industry standard and Anycubic including it in a printer in the extreme budget section is a good sign. Having ABL on every machine would make 3D printing much more accessible.

The quality from the CNET test print showed some instances where the Kobra Go isn’t calibrated quite right, but with a little effort and some tweaking of the software, you should be able to print quality models reliably.

Russell: The print quality for the Kobra Go is exactly what I expected for a $200 3D printer. I wouldn’t use this for printing something with high detail or lots of fine edges, but simple shapes or pieces for a larger project can easily be printed on this machine. With a little bit of practice, it wouldn’t be all that limiting for most projects.

Kit vs. cost

When it comes to making a budget 3D printer, there’s a balance between cost and usability. By selling the Kobra Go in kit form, Anycubic can save money in assembly and shipping, giving the company scope to add auto-bed-leveling and other premium features.

Whether you’re brand-new to 3D printing and looking to learn as you go (and willing to put in some effort to build it), or if you’re just looking for a cheap 3D printer with ABL, the Kobra Go makes a good case for taking a DIY approach.

Technologies

This $199 Bose QuietComfort Headphones Deal Is the Best I’ve Seen

With a $150 discount, this Bose QuietComfort headphones deal is impossible to beat.

We’re big fans of personal audio gear, especially high-quality headphones. The Bose QuietComfort headphones definitely fall into that category. In fact, CNET’s expert editors rank them as some of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market today. But that doesn’t mean you have to pay the retail price — right now, both Amazon and Walmart are offering them for a best-ever price.

Strike now and you’ll snag a pair of Bose QuietComfort wireless headphones at a great discount of $150. Walmart is offering them for just $199 in select colors. But if you want more variety, Amazon is price-matching across the entire color range. Just keep in mind that I can’t promise that either of these deals will last for long.

The QuietComfort headphones include noise cancellation and have Quiet and Aware modes, so you can focus as needed or let some ambient sound in when you’re taking walks or need to know what’s happening around you.

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Adjustable EQ lets you customize your sound preferences, and a battery life of up to 24 hours makes these headphones the perfect travel companion. Need a battery boost? It only takes a 15-minute charge to get an extra battery life of up to 2.5 hours.

If this isn’t quite the product you’re looking for, check out our list of the best wireless headphones to find the right pair for you. There are plenty of different options from various manufacturers, with something for everyone.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones (Navy):

$298 (save $50)
Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$40 (save $20)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$300 (save $51)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$299 (save $151)
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$220 (save $180)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

Bose makes some of the best headphones on the market. This deal offers QuietComfort headphones for just $199 after slashing $150 off the regular price. That’s the lowest price I’ve seen on these headphones, and a massive discount. Just be sure to get your order in soon.

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Technologies

The Best Earbuds for Samsung Users Are Just $165, but for How Long?

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 look and sound great, and this deal smashes the usual $250 asking price.

While it’s true that Apple’s latest AirPods Pro 3 tend to dominate the conversation when discussing premium Bluetooth earbuds, they aren’t the only option. In fact, if you’re ensconced in Samsung’s ecosystem, they’re obviously not going to be a great fit. The solution? Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which you can get on sale right now for just $165 on Amazon.

It isn’t quite the cheapest price we’ve seen, but it isn’t all that far off. And while they might fall slightly during the upcoming Black Friday sales, we don’t expect them to go far beyond their lowest price of around $150.

There are plenty of options out there for non-Apple users looking for a good pair of wireless earbuds. To give you one example, CNET’s own list of the best wireless earbuds named Sony’s WF-1000XM5 as the best pair on the market. Elsewhere on that list, though, CNET also named the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro as the best option for Samsung users, and it’s not hard to see why.

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These earbuds boast a number of features tailored to folks with Samsung Galaxy or any other sort of Android smartphone, most notably support for the «high-resolution» Samsung Seamless Codec for audio quality. Those users will also have access to the Galaxy Wear app, which is the exclusive method the company uses to push through updates. While you can technically connect these buds to an iPhone, you won’t find the Wear app in Apple’s App Store, leaving the experience far from ideal.

Beyond those exclusive perks for Android users, CNET’s audio guru Dave Carnoy said in his review of the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro that you can expect a «lightweight and comfortable» feel, excellent audio and call quality, and some solid noise-cancellation to boot. The primary flaw he noted was the price, which this deal definitely helps with.

Why this deal matters

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are the top-of-the-line when it comes to Samsung earbuds, which means that most of the time you can expect a top-of-the-line price tag to match. Now, however, you can grab yourself a pair for considerably less.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Oct. 31

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 31.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Happy Halloween! Today’s NYT Mini Crossword features the word «BOO!» in a square on the last line of the grid. That’s not just a Halloween greeting, it’s part of the answer that spans both 9-Across and 10-Across, so read the answers to both those with the «boo» in the middle to solve it. And then, the puzzle-makers use that «BOO!» again, to help make the answer to 3-Down. Read on for all the answers, complete with added boos. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.