In my opinion, the A1 is better than the X1C, as I’ll explain below.
I own both the A1 and the X1C, and initially, the X1C seemed to produce better prints, especially with walls. However, after a few weeks, I found that the A1 actually outperforms the X1C for my prints. It’s like the A1 needed a “breaking in” period.
I have several items that print curved, upside-down features, and the X1C tends to produce wavy or stringy lines in these areas. The A1, however, forms perfect lines without any support. These features are set at a little over 45 degrees on an upside-down curved slope. I’ll try to share photos at some point to show where the A1 clearly beats the X1C.
I also print on spring steel plates, which are smooth like glass. Without any tweaking, the A1 achieves the perfect squeeze and pressure. With the X1C, no amount of calibration or tweaking seems to give a better bottom layer than the A1—it often shows lines or the print direction. This is critical when printing on special plates because that first layer needs to be flawless for the desired effect.
I use a standard print head on the A1 with a 0.4mm stainless steel nozzle. For the X1C, I use a 0.4mm hardened steel nozzle. Both printers use Bambu Lab PLA or PETG Basic. I don’t print with high-flow (HF) materials or work often with carbon fiber (CF), ABS, or PV on the X1C. Whenever I see the A1 excel at something I didn’t think it was capable of, it frustrates me that the X1C, which should be top-of-the-line, doesn’t always measure up. I even have two chamber heaters on the X1C to help with warping, while on the A1, a simple 3DLacPlus does the job.
The A1’s print bed is also 5 degrees hotter than the X1C’s. It has a steel bed, whereas the X1C’s bed is plastic with a magnetic rubber top.
Though simpler in design, the A1 is, in my opinion, much better. It’s open, and if you’re only printing PLA or PETG and using Bambu’s materials (which are often on sale as refills), it’s hard to beat. The AMS Lite on the A1 is excellent, making it, for me, the GOAT.
When I’m in the market for another printer, it’ll be the A1—not another X1C.
On top of all this, I’ve only calibrated the A1 a couple of times, and as long as it keeps printing excellently, I leave it alone. The X1C, on the other hand, requires more maintenance and has some persistent issues, like the X or Y resonance error, that never seems to clear, no matter what I do. I contacted Bambu Lab about this error, but unfortunately, they weren’t very helpful.
With the added maintenance, moving parts, and spare parts needed to keep the X1C up to par, the A1 is my clear winner. It’s less complicated, with fewer parts that can fail.
There may still be a few things the X1C can do better, but the more I push the A1, the more it continues to impress me.
One area to note, the A1’s print is speed is slower than an X1C, but speed over quality, I’ll always pick quality. The X1C may overcome some of these issues be printing at 50% speed, but then what’s the point?
