The wind sound is kind of pointless. I get what they were going for (a fire on a windy day) but the result sounds exactly like someone frying bacon in a pan. Not much reason I can think of to ever use it. Still, I'm not taking a star off for such a minor thing I'll never use. The remote is simple and easy to use. I guess it's the nature of the design, but since the remote sensor is tucked away under the "grate", you have to be sure to aim in the right spot for it to work.
As I write this review I'm sitting next to the fireplace. I love the coziness of it, and every once in a while my eye catches the glow and my brain wonders why there's no heat coming off the fire. Then I remember it's metal and plastic.
We really couldn't be happier with this. It adds the look (and mostly the sound) of a real fire without the mess and smell (first world problems, right?). I can't say how durable it will be but it feels solidly built, and other than the cheap speaker it feels well thought out. It's one of the more expensive ones...I've seen these for $100 or less on sale...but it looks much more realistic than the cheap models.