Sinclair Spectrum +3 Review

My Review of a classic 8 bit home computer: The Sinclair ZX Spectrum +3 128k

[HuntersMoon]

I've got a Spectrum +2a and I'll never get rid of it as it's been my favourite computer since I was a kid, C64 is a close second

[vraptor]

Nostalgia is the word i would use to describe this video. I used to have a Sinclair spectrum 128 ZX +2 and as a kid, i didnt know much about computers. So i was wondering what the I/O expansion slot does and i shorted the pins with a pair of scissors. Of course the reset button didn't reset the fried electronics... My father didn't know about it and i told him that it just stopped working. I really miss the good old games i used to play. I got a blast of a computer today but those oldies really had something today's computers don't have. A soul! Great video!

[ToddsNerdCave]

Damn! I have been wanting to pick one of these up for a while now and this makes me want one even more! And that Castlevania port....damn!

[retrobeastgames]

Sinclair ZX Spectrum, legendary and the most nostalgic micro computer, in the UK in the 1980's

[mjegullan]

I'm happy owner of Sinclair ZX Spectrum +3

[load]

lots of people hating on the 3" disks, i own about 200 or so 3" disks and i would say 95% still read and write perfectly
it all comes down to how they are used and stored for the most part.
great video they are good machines, and while i have 2 in my collection i prefer to use a +2b and load games from disk using that or i use one of my 128+ toastracks, compatibility on the +3 is not as bad as some think its only the really old games that have trouble loading or games like Arkanoid that fail due to the lack of a floating bus .
The hardware reliability is a lot higher for the most part than the previous Spectrums if you purchase a +3 its probably going to work fine except for the disk drive belt that will most likely need replacing.

[coffeecuparcade]

I just got my very first ZX Spectrum 48k this month. I have been blown away with it! It has been recapped, composite modded, had an amplifier added to clean up audio in and out signals, and new membrane and keyboard added. The games are WAY MORE ARCADE than I thought they would be. Matter of fact from someone that grew up in the USA and the UK and owned the Commodore 64... I am blown away with the Spectrum far more. With only 48k of ram I cannot play that awesome Castlevania game you showed, but that's why I own a MiSTerFPGA. I can play it there if need be. The core experience I always wanted was the OG 48k model, and if I can ever find one at a good price, the toastrack 128k would be an amazing addition to my retro life.

[katiemilker]

I loved my spectrum +2 but my brother smashed it of a wall in a rage because a game wasn't loading, I was so devastated that day, still not got over it.

[DavidRobinson]

Cool Review never knew the motherboard could be adapted for compact flash support, first machine I ever owned was a +2A when I was 8 years old, first one had a faulty tape deck and the second went on so long the play button broke off the tape deck. Hopefully the Spectrum Next gives new life to these classic machines. Only thing to note with the +2A/+3 is incompatibility with certain old titles off of tape.

[mikelee]

I still got my +3 with a 3.5 inch floppy drive unit that works very well indeed, I also done the sound fix now I got superb sound.

[sfmn]

i had one back in the days at my granpas home, when i grow up i moved to a different country and my grandparents gave all my consoles and ZX Spectrum to some random dudes, i was little confused by that decision :D

[Tetlee]

I recently rebought a +2a as that was the one that I owned as a kid. Strangely I never knew anyone that had a +3. But just last night talking to some friends over a BBQ I discovered the guy used to own a +3, I was super impressed tbh. They're a cool looking machine, I'd be tempted to buy one but I think the +2a and Spectrum Next is probably enough along with my other systems.

[commodorehorizons]

Great Video :-) Just a little bit reference the 3inch drive. 3 Inch Drives were in the main used in Amstrad Machines including the +3. This included the 6128 and PCW Range. Tatung Einstein also used 3 Inch Discs. If you have not already done so check and change the drive belt as they do have a tendancy to turn to mush :-) Had a +3 in the late 80's and loved it, also you can attach a modified 3.5 inch drive to the floppy Disc B port :-)

[Fifury]

3" disks were invented (1982) before 3.5" (SS 1982 - PC versions 1984) disks, by the time +3 was released (1987) 3.5" had become more popular and the 3" format was cheaper. This is the reason home computers (and some word processors) had the 3" drives. If only they had been fitted with 3.5" drives - think how much longer they may have been used!

[griffoX]

castlevania on the speccy well i never knew that :) . green beret was never off my speccy+ as a kid so many great memory's
great vid mate :)

[TiberiusWallace]

Being a speccy boy I knew loads of people with them and I had two people with the +3 model... and both bought external tape drives.

[yeraysantanaaday]

I am happy owner of 128 k one, still work perfectly..all the keys. Only the conector with tv that needs repair.

[MichaelOglesby]

The ZX Spectrum, iconic machine. Back in the day, I had a Speecy 48K rubber key machine. It was prone to crashing and due to 48K memory, limited. Some games didn't come with sound, you had to load every level and keep loading them! So, I upgraded to Speccy 128K. I did have an opportunity to get the +3, but games were difficult to come by and they were more expensive. For example, a release day game on cassette would cost typically £14.99, the disk version, if the shop stocked it, would cost £17.95.

Eventually, I went with the awesome ZX Spectrum 128K +2A with built-in cassette deck. I had hours of fun on it.

If you are interesting in buying a ZX Spectrum, I recommend you go for the 128K +2A. It had better features over the +2 and the power socket on the +2A was more reliable. To tell the difference between them, the 128K +2 is in a GREY case, were as the +2A is in a BLACK case.

All the best :)

[obsoletegeek]

I had no idea there was a CF solution for the Speccy! Crap.... guess I need to pick one up

[l]

I had a Plus 2 with the built in cassette. I remember playing Run the Gauntlett on it and it taking what seemed like hours because each level of the game had to be loaded from the tape each time and of course, they weren't in order so you had to forward and/or rewind the tape everytime to find the stage you wanted to load then wait for it to actually load.