ZX Omni: An honest review

The ZX Omni is a modern ZX Spectrum alternative made by Retro Radionics and for the most part, its a great machine.
Episode links:
I bought my Omni here: (not sponsored) retroradionics.co.uk
ZX Omni FB group: / 519934131721262
Spectrum for Everyone FB Group: / spectrumforeveryone
My Joystick surround: www.thingiverse.com/thing:562...
Castlevania: spectralinterlude.com
Updated DivMMC menu: www.thefossilrecord.co.uk/codi...
Patreon: / mrlurch
Discord: / discord
Twitter: / mr_lurch
Facebook: / mrlurchsthings
Instagram: / mr_lurchs_things
Merch: www.redbubble.com/people/MrLu...

[@MrLurchsThings]

UPDATE: I got Wifi Working - quick Vid in progress. A big shout out to the ZX Omni FB group who really keep this product alive. facebook.com/groups/519934131721262/

[@TheFyend]

Amazing, Clive Sinclair reviewing a ZX Omni.

[@8bitsinthebasement]

Thanks for this man. I'm still a little on the fence about which way to go when it comes to a reliable Specky machine, but you've more or less helped me to make up my mind. To be honest with the DivMMC ready installed it's a no brainer. Great review by the way ;)

[@OzRetrocomp]

Thanks for the unflinchingly honest review, Jase. The board itself looks decent enough and the bang:buck ratio is very attractive but if (probably more like when) I get myself a ZX Omni, I'll order it in parts so I can butcher the case myself instead of getting it pre-butchered. 😆The extra 3D printed parts are cool, though. You should sell those as an accessory pack.

[@gklinger]

Thanks for bringing this interesting device to my attention and for the thorough and honest review.

[@48kRAM]

Thanks for this review Jase. Looks like a lovely little modern speccy and I'm tempted to get one myself, even though I have a real 48k machine. Looks like they also make a repro "toastrack" case which is quite interesting.

[@robm8809]

Regarding the power plug, I was also peeved about the fit of that, and used a blade to trim off some off the plastic on the plug to make a stress-free fit.

[@syrus3k]

St. Dragon. I remember playing the demo from your sinclair magazine. Blown away, loved it so much.

[@BrainSlugs83]

In the dragon game with the tail, you're supposed to let the tail get hit and use it as a shield. Like go around in a circle so that the tail is in front of your face and it should protect you from bullets.

[@50shadesofbeige88]

Thank you!

[@matrix26uk]

Renegade - Get behind them, walk them to the right edge and kick them off

[@phookadude]

I bought one a few years ago, my first computer was a Timex Sinclair 1000 and I always wanted a spectrum but they were not available in the US. It's a wonderful machine, I got the little screen for it as SCART isn't available here. I don't know about the new version but I would recommend the omni as long as you can wait (mine took 9 months to arrive) as I believe they are assembled by a single guy.

[@sbirchsbirch6232]

He is either faster now, or demand is lower. Ordered mine August 18th and it shipped exactly 3 months later. Arrived today, 7th of December, 3 weeks later.

[@patbreen3859]

Really well balanced review! Love this type of content!

[@robm8809]

I've got an Omni and love it very much, in fact I hope to have a second one soon, the Mk4 or V4 Omni has some advantages over the early model I currently own. I very much agree though that a decent manual would certainly be useful and helpful.

[@ufgator812]

Looks like a great option. Cheers.

[@robm8809]

I love mine!

[@ZaPpaul]

New drinking game. Every time he says 'Uhhh' you take a shot. I lasted 1 min 12 seconds and passed out.

[@gregdunlap7538]

Great video! Bought one myself after seeing this - may be the cheapest way to get a 128k spectrum these days! It arrived much quicker than I expected - just a few weeks, and was well-packed, came with a SCART cable (looks the same as a Sega Genesis 2&3 but haven't tested that yet) and power supply. Bummer that the 128K basic is incompatible with the DivMMC, but there's a patch for that I'll try flashing to the EPROM once I get the PLCC adapter for my TL866 clone 🙂 Disappointed with the keyboard though; wasn't expecting much, but I actually think the genuine 48k's keyboard is better! REALLY appreciate the heads-up on the long-filename file browser!

[@robm8809]

I put a 48K-KDLX membrane replacement PCB by Ginger Electronics in my Omni, it's a thin PCB with miniature tactile switches and, while it no longer feels quite like a genuine Speccy, I really do like the feel of it.

[@Xoferif]

The intro tune of Manic Miner is supposed to sound terrible. It's part of the game's humour. 😀

[@johandenhertog6878]

Great review. Have still the original ZX Spectrum 48K Issue2 complete boxed in mint state. And it’s working perfect with my old Slipstream Data Recorder and my old original tape Games. Would buy the HARLEQUIN 128K REV 2D in a ZX Spectrum Plus case for Demos. Have also a mint complete boxed * ZX Spectrum 128K Toastrack. Waiting for the ZX-AY to use with the Smart Card v2. Maybe i buy the DivMMC Pro One.

[@talideon]

If I didn't already have a Next, this would be tempting, especially with the Jupiter Ace compatibility. Still, if I were to get a Spectrum now, it'd have to be a Harlequin, but those are a pain to get these days.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

I also just scored the ZX-UNO Spectrum clone board. Should be an interesting build.

[@mmadmic]

I've a few Spectrum at home but as they age (well indeed), I'm looking for a recreated version. I did with the C64 and the C64 maxi is a great machine. I visited the ZX renew website and it looks if not dead but at least not really maintained, last message to say owner are on holidays till 3r July 2023 ... As I want to have a machine to keep and update, i'm a little bit reluctant to buy and also because all they sell is pre-owned. It's clear this machine is not fully finished and still needs updates/upgrades and if the website is nearly dead. It's nice to redo what Sinclair did, but for the Spectrum, don't copy the QL, releasing a not fully working prototype.

[@monsirto]

Great stuff, thank you! Anything with 5 pin DIN gets my attention. Anyone here know if there were trackers or sequencers made for the Sinclairs?

[@markmedia8252]

Jason you could play the part of sir Clive 😂

[@SophieFeet]

He'd look more convincing that Alexander Armstrong, no doubt. Repeat after me "Jet set f**king willy"

[@michaelcloutier2225]

I think you might really like getting a Mister FPGA rig. It has a complect Spectrum Next core and a huge number of other 8 and 16 bit systems and though it is a bit pricy to get a full system setup it is still the best bang for your buck I can think of. It runs so many consoles PCs and Arcade systems that it boggles the mind. Mine cost about $400 all together and it is just amazing how much it can do. Most of the cores include many of the enhanced upgrades of each system. The development community is really amazing and you will find updates almost every week that make things better.

[@gonzalo1972]

As the mister comes without manual, he will get “frustrated” too 😉

[@TheTurnipKing]

5:40 Strings in Sinclair's Basic have to be in quotes. It's trying to print farts which it's assuming is a variable, but the variable farts hasn't been assigned a value with LET

[@EnjoySynthSounds]

I can recommend the games Buzzsaw (like Pac Attack) and Ooze, a platform puzzler. 2 modern games. When you are on the highest platform in Manic Miner, you need to jump the second part much earlier than it seems. The later levels are much harder. If you can save your progress, I suggest you do so.

[@brianv2871]

This was a great review with tons of information on a product i had little interest in beforehand and zero interest after... However you want to take this (admittedly I'm from the US so my spectrum interest might be lower than most of your viewers) 😃

[@MrLurchsThings]

Umm - thanks? I guess?

[@brianv2871]

@@MrLurchsThings haha, i had/have that timex Sinclair 1000, a terrible zx81 clone, so maybe I'm harsher to the Sinclair line then i should be. Admittedly the spectrum was much more interesting than their older systems so maybe there's a reason people in other countries have a fondness for them so much.

[@seraphinberktold7087]

​​​@@brianv2871The ZX Spectrum was the first home computer you could afford with enough RAM to do complex stuff. It's launch preceded that of the C64 by more than half a year. And it was NEVER meant to be a games machine. Sir Clive (RIP) was very unhappy about the Speccy starting a games industry in England. I wrote my first complex program about Latin verb grammer exercises on it. The simplicity of the ZX Spectrum's hardware made it the most cloned system of its time, especially in Eastern Europe. More than 80 clone versions exist(ed) and nobody knows just how many Spectrum compatibles were (and are) produced.

[@kingforaday8725]

Nice

[@notsuoh16Bit]

If you just want to play specy games, you are better off with a MiSTer. Castlevania Spectral Interlude does not lag on my real hardware or MiSTer tests. The MiSTer HDMI has no noticeable lag with the specy or any other hardware simulation for that matter. Nice video, I will not buy one of these after seeing your review, thank you.

[@braillynn4903]

The consistency of cheese! 🤣

[@simber71]

On my Omni issue 4 I use the ZX-HD all time to output display.

[@SophieFeet]

With TAP games that don't load, sometimes it's because they're 128K versions that rely on the interrupt routine on the 128k version of the BASIC ROM to do memory paging. Other things (like Atic Atac, Jet Pac and other earlier Ultimate titles) need memory paging disabled before loading. Use OUT 32765,48 before hitting the NMI button (you refer to it as the divMMC button) and selecting the game. Finally, you mentioned you couldn't get the +3e ROM working - this is probably because you'd need an SD card formatted by +3DOS rather than FAT.

[@neil2402]

Thanks for the review and pointing out some of the shortcomings. You are welcome to borrow my Next if you want to have a play. I'm in the inner north. Cheers,

[@MrLurchsThings]

Deal!

[@neil2402]

@@MrLurchsThings How do I contact you? (and no, I don't do social media...)

[@MrLurchsThings]

@@neil2402 my email should be on the channels about page. Or via FB or Twitter.

[@neil2402]

@@MrLurchsThings Nothing on the about page, which is why I asked.

[@MrLurchsThings]

@@neil2402 oh. Weird. Anyway: [e-mail]

[@Lachlant1984]

I thought I heard somewhere that a new batch of Next units were coming out next year, maybe I misread that. How did you arrange the sound from the games when you were demonstrating them? it's interesting to hear that the sounds and music were in stereo. Hopefully the team behind this unit will improve it over time.

[@MrLurchsThings]

Looking at the pin out of the rgb port, both L and R are coming out of he machine.

[@OzRetrocomp]

The Issue 2 Spectrum Next Kickstarter was in 2020, but the component shortage has taken its toll. The developers had to port the core over to a new FPGA as the one used in the Issue 1 is no longer available. AFAIK the only thing holding up the Issue 2 Next is said FPGAs, which have an expected delivery date of mid 2023. Issue 1 Nexts go for AUD $1,000+ on eBay, so you'd have to be keen. Or you could put in an order for an N-GO (Spectrum Next compatible) for less than half the price, but there's a bit of a wait on those too.

[@Lachlant1984]

@@OzRetrocomp I see, thanks for explaining that.

[@robm8809]

A point about the Jupiter Ace, I think that the Ace rom has not been included on the V4 Omni.

[@tschak909]

wait. I have USED a ZX-HD with my Omni! I did this, before I popped on the screen.

[@Sozzled39]

Great value little product that! I rather like it.

[@robm8809]

I've got one and I'm really pleased with it. Adding the batteries and laptop display to make it portable really helps, in my opinion, I love being able to do Speccy stuff anywhere.

[@borayurt66]

I've looked into these "modern" clones myself and found the whole subject very confusing. The Spectrum Next is a great piece of hardware designed by all the best people, but as you also very rightfully said so, a bit out of reach. The N-Go is something I could never understand fully, it seems to be "the poor man's Next" since it is able (?) to run the "Next Core" (whatever that is) but I really don't know what that brings to the table, and whether I want those things or not. Omni, as you have reviewed very well here, seems to be a "near exact" 128K clone made with modern components, and a few very known modern Spectrum add-ons implemented on the board. But, and that is a big but, I don't like the idea of having multiple FPGAs running the show. I am a retro 8bit fan and having electronics beyond my understanding (and capability) in my "retro computer" really bugs me. I also don't like the idea of software trying to emulate hardware. If one of those decides to die, there isn't much I can do to fix it. That takes the fun out of it big time for me. So, as a result I went for Superfo's Harlequin 128 issue 4A. Everything in it is within my technical knowledge, there are no "hidden super computers" in there that emulate real hardware. Everything is close to the original thing (or should I say almost period correct) as can be. So far, I couldn't find anything (hardware of software) that refused to work with it, and/or caused any incompatibilities. True, you need some spare time to build it, took me 6 months to collect everything needed literally from many corners of the world. Built it in 3 days, and have been enjoying it very much along with my real Spectrums.

[@robm8809]

The N-Go is a licensed clone of the Next, and is 100% compatible. I have a Next and like it very much but I am thinking of getting an N-Go. The N-Go is even better in some ways, such as I get some interference on the sound on my V1 Next as they Wifi module is close to the sounds module on the board, whereas the N-Go solves that problem. I have a Laptop Omni as well and also love that. :)

[@seanmchughnt]

2:30... sounds like a bike with sports exhaust going by outside the shed Jason....

[@CommodoreVic20]

Do you have a zip file for a working longfilename sdcard?

[@alessandrotommasi9941]

You didn't just press 'R' for RUN, you probably pressed R, U, N, resulting in the command being RUN un, which is a missing variable hence 2, variable not found.

[@ChrisWalshZX]

That "2 Variable Not Found" was very suspicious as the line/statement was 0 : 2 which refers to your command line instruction "RUN" and statement 2 which doesn't exist? No idea why that woudl happen.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

Byte Delight has a kit for $119 roughly but you do have to assemble it.

[@pepsimmx]

If I remenber, you need to add case, keyboard, ULA and ROMs and there is no Divmcc on this one. Not really the same price at the end. But it should be fun to build :)

[@frankowalker4662]

Oh, I thought I was subbed. LOL. Am now. 👍

[@ihateevilbill]

19:55 Just to let you know. In St Dragon, your tail is immune to bullets and enemies. Only the head can be killed. Great game btw :)

[@EnjoySynthSounds]

You cannot pass the first stage of Manic Miner, but hey, don't sweat it- you've got a newish speccy and the best 8 bit joystick (outside the original NES gamepad).if you want to pull your hair out even more, may I suggest trying Exolon and Spiky Harold (2 of the most uber unfair and frustrating titles known to man). You can get this model in a laptop form too. Good gaming!

[@seraphinberktold7087]

Exolon is unfair? Oh no, Sir! But it demands practice.

[@deagt3388]

Professor you are desperate in games especially in "Manic Miner"! ;-)

[@zxrenew5642]

There have been several revisions now of the Omni.

[@MrLurchsThings]

any idea what the go is with the wifi module?

[@geekyprojects1353]

Can someone explain why every youtuber seems to use "RetroTink" for upscaling? I have got a sidewalk picked hdd recorder which does the same job plus can play DVDs.

[@8bitdreams810]

You should take a look on Sizif 512 instread. It just gives You much more than this...

[@johnwilliams7999]

you can have the zx spectrum with a 15 dollar esp32 micro controller

[@TheTimeProphet]

I just use the Spectacular Emulator on Windows. Better than using a rubber keyed spectrum

[@robm8809]

Emulators can be convenient, but for some, using a real machine (and I do view the Omni as a "real" Spectrum as it has a proper Z80 CPU) is more fun. I prefer using my Omni to an emulator, though I do use emulators sometimes.

[@chad0x]

20 goto 10, dafty/

[@garyhart6421]

What if you are not on FaceBook ?

[@TheCaffeineKid]

RUN un ;)

[@wiwingmargahayu6831]

z80

[@PJBonoVox]

Sadly a lot of homebrew style retro hardware products end up like this. Like with retro handheld emulation devices, the good intent is there but the documentation is lacking or non-existent. And god only knows why they use Facebook to communicate.

[@SenileOtaku]

But having Faceborg/Failbook as the only support option is a non-starter

[@Brfff]

Small file? Pffft, use a soldering iron like a real man! ;) /Brett {No, don't do that!}

[@karleecandice5287]

ρгό𝔪σŞｍ 😱

[@MechaFenris]

I use an emulator on my Linux box, because I like some of the games, but I never owned a Spectrum (I'm a Yank)... it's still an amazing little computer. (I'm a graduate of the Atari 800xl/C64 school of 8-bit... heh) This seems like a neat alternative for people looking to get back their youth.... :)