If you can swing the added cost, I would 100% get it. I don’t do much multi color, but it’s worth it alone to just be able to have 4 spools loaded up and be able to switch between them in the slicer software. I always keep matte black loaded because it’s what I use most often, and then swap the other three slots as needed. The way I see it, even if you’re ok with having to change the spool everytine you print, you may as well have the AMS and have to switch slightly less often.

Lastly, on more than one occasion the automatic failover to another spool has saved me a lot of effort. If you suspect you’re running low on a spool, you can just load up the same color on a different slot and the print run will automatically switch over to the new spool mid-print if you run out. I was blown away by the convenience of that the first time it happened. Keeps the print moving instead of stopping and waiting for you to make the switch manually.

I recently got into this and picked up the A1 with AMS. It’s been a lot of fun to play with and other than the routine maintenance like cleaning the bed and lubing the rails, it’s been zero trouble.