Love this fireplace slash work of art! I was hesitant to buy it because in the pictures the flames looked short and sparse to me, but the rave product reviews convinced me to go for it.  We installed it without adding the rocks and the flames look voluminous - much more than I expected!  Not sure if that is due to not adding rocks or just how the fireplace looks in reality. In addition to making a substantial fashion statement it produces enough heat to warm a medium sized room in our house.   Since getting it we have had friends over and without fail each one says how nice it looks and asks where we got it. We are getting another one for our bedroom. Granted it is not whisper quiet, it does have an electrical 'hum.'  It is easy to tune out though like any appliance and I'm sure this is pretty much the norm for these items.