My mom gifted this to me for Christmas in 2012 and every time I take it from the cabinet I feel just as excited as my first use. It is not a shrill sound when blending (hello Ninja blenders!) and even my husband, who is sensitive to high sounds, can stay in the kitchen when in use. I use this for hot/cold/frozen and everything in between! I just have to make sure when using this blender I am doing a medium to large about otherwise things wont process through the blades. I have thought about upgrading to some of the fancier models with the heat and chilling ability, but this one does everything I need. I look forward to the many more uses I will have with this guy!