Elegoo Neptune 2S

The Elegoo Neptune 2S is a refreshed Neptune 2 on the same platform: a 220×220×250 mm build, open frame with a bed that moves in Y, bowden feed and manual leveling. Three parts changed, and they're the ones that usually cause grief: a PEI spring steel sheet instead of fiberglass with a mat, a dual-gear metal extruder instead of the MK8, and a titanium heat break instead of aluminum.

Speed and temperatures carry over unchanged: 180 mm/s on paper with 60 mm/s recommended, a 260 °C hotend and a 250 W bed good for 100 °C. Silent drivers hold a rated 48 dB, the screen is a 3.5-inch resistive panel, and files load over TF card or USB. The blue PTFE tube is rated for continuous 260 °C work — Tom's Hardware notes ordinary PTFE starts degrading at 240 °C and eventually clogs. It weighs 7.3 kg, 400 g more than the Neptune 2, thanks to the metal extruder and steel sheet.

Pros

• The PEI spring steel sheet lets prints pop off with a flex instead of a scraper and doesn't warp when hot — Tom's Hardware rates it a highlight
• Dual-gear metal extruder with spring-adjustable tension grips better and skips less than the MK8 on the base Neptune 2
• Titanium heat break plus a high-temp PTFE tube rated to 260 °C noticeably cut the clog risk on long PETG runs
• Tom's Hardware calls print quality excellent, and flexible TPU feeds through the bowden fine once you drop to 40 mm/s
• Silent stepper drivers and a rated 48 dB make it livable in a shared room
• Four nozzles and two pneumatic fittings ship in the box, so you aren't buying spares right away

Cons

• It's a kit: only the base arrives assembled, and you build the X gantry, mount the hotend and route the belt yourself. Tom's Hardware budgets a couple of hours, and all the hardware sits in one bag
• Wires are labeled but connectors aren't, so plugging a cable into the wrong stepper is far too easy. Check the PSU voltage switch before first power-up and retighten the V-wheel eccentrics
• The filament runout sensor sits too close to the extruder, turning filament loading into a chore, and the screen hides right under the bed
• Leveling is manual, Z runs on a single lead screw, and stock Cura and PrusaSlicer have no profile (use Ender 3 Pro at 250 mm height). Elegoo also admits a series-wide warped-base defect and published its own repair guide

The Neptune 2S fits someone willing to build the machine and tune it by hand: prototypes, enclosures, household parts, a first go at flexibles. Assembly experience and patience for calibration are required — this is a printer for people who enjoy the process.

It's discontinued and the thinnest-documented printer in the family: exactly one full written English review exists. The replacement is the Neptune 4 with auto leveling and Klipper, or the Neptune 4 Plus and Max if you need more plate.

Reviews

• Tom's Hardware — Elegoo Neptune 2S Review: Excellent Prints, Some Assembly Required
• Lost In Tech — Flexible TPU on a bowden? The Elegoo Neptune 2S is the budget printer you need for TPU! (video)