Dual Extruders

The CR-X Pro comes with the same type of dual extruder as its predecessor,  a single-nozzle, dual-color design. Filament is fed through Bowden tubes from the extruder, meeting in a Y-coupler before passing into the hot end itself.

What this entails is that you cannot “mix” the filaments to get gradient colors, something seen on the E3D Cyclops-style hot ends. Rather, the active extruder must pull back the filament past the Y-coupler, before the other extruder can proceed to load its own filament and proceed with printing in the new color.

A side effect of having a single nozzle is that a purge tower or “wiping into infill” settings must be used for multicolor prints, potentially wasting some material. However, it also eliminates problems with oozing from inactive nozzles, and you’ll never have to worry about nozzle offsets when changing colors.

To achieve dual color prints, the slicer software, in this case Cura, is able to parse together models which have been segmented for multimaterial printing, allowing you to assign different colors to different sections of the model, and generate the purge tower. These color assignments are reflected in the G-code, where additional commands tell the printer to retract the current color and load the new one, before continuing the print.

Mean Well Power Supply

As is now becoming standard among Creality’s newer printers, the CR-X Pro comes with a UL Certified Mean Well branded power supply. With an automatic switch for dual voltage, you never have to worry about frying your printer by using it in the wrong setting for your country’s standard AC voltage.

On the output side, the CR-X Pro runs on 24 volts with an impressive 480 watts of potential. Compared to the 12V 360 watt systems of the older CR-10 printers, this means the CR-X Pro should theoretically be able to heat up to higher temperatures much faster, eliminating one of the main gripes of earlier printers.  Another advantage of a Mean Well supply is simply increased reliability and possibly a longer lifespan, meaning you’ll have to worry less about your printer as it ages.

BL-Touch Auto Leveling

One of the largest initial complaints about the original CR-X was the lack of automatic bed leveling. On a printer retailing for twice the price of a standard CR-10, this seemingly simple upgrade was missing, a bit of an oversight on Creality’s part.

The CR-X Pro solves this, and is equipped with a genuine Antclabs BL-Touch probe and 9-point auto bed-leveling. This should greatly increase ease of use once an initial leveling and calibration is completed. For those who want to print big, you can be sure that the entire bed is leveled and that your prints will stick as expected.

Upgraded Silent Motherboard

Creality seems to be adept at developing their own printer control boards, and here is no different. The CR-X Pro is run by an “industrial self-developed motherboard” with TMC2208 stepper motor drivers.

These drivers are specifically known for their “stealth” modes, making printers much quieter. As such, we can expect the CR-X Pro to be a much more home-friendly machine than its predecessor, making those overnight prints more tolerable.

Other Features

The CR-X Pro has a few other nice features, although these are mostly the same as what are found in the original. A 4-inch color LCD touch screen display helps make the printer more intuitive to operate, and all-metal extruders are more wear resistant and should ensure that results remain consistent over time.

A notable missing feature are filament runout sensors, which we’ve come to expect from “Pro” and upgraded machines, so you’ll have to keep an eye on your filament supply. Aside from that, it seems that Creality has more or less managed to address the main concerns surrounding the original CR-X, and managed to make the price even lower than before. Worth a buy? That’s for you to decide.