Cristofori Digital Piano CDP-2

My daughter, Sera started to take a piano course last year so we needed to get a piano for her to practise. We did not want to spend too much on one as we were not sure how long her interest will continue.

As I was doing my research on pianos, I realized that an acoustic piano required a heater and needed to be tuned every 6 months or so. This would be extra maintenance and costs. A digital piano, on the other hand, cost much less than a real piano. It has volume control and has a headphone jack, so Sera can practise any time she wants.

The digital piano seemed to be the obvious choice for us.

We went to a Cristofori showroom and finally chose the Cristofori Digital Piano (CDP). CDP mimics a real piano. It has weighted keys, 3 pedals below and 88 keys. It also has many different built-in tunes, different sounds of musical instruments, and comes with a free headphone and bench. The price is about a quarter of that of an upright acoustic piano.

We agreed that it would take an expert ear to really be able to distinguish the sound from a digital piano and an acoustic piano.

So far, Sera enjoyed playing on the CDP and trying out the built in tunes at times. She also liked to play around with the various musical instrument sounds and tempo of the rythms. Her sister, Lynn would sometimes play the CDP for fun.

P115 / P-115 Yamaha [DIGITAL PIANO SALE!] ★★ Yamaha P-115 | Portable Keyboard | Digital Keyboard | Piano | Piano Book | Keyboard | p115 | P115 | Yamaha P115 | Yamaha P-115 | yamaha P115 | TOP |

LIST.QOO10.SG

Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808

I have wanted to find a more lightweight upright vacuum cleaner. 

While shopping for a laptop for Sera, we saw this Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808 by chance at one of the Challenger stores (not all Challenger stores have this model). However, as we were in a rush that day, we did not have the time to ask the salesperson for more information on this.

I tried searching online for more information and reviews on this product later but only managed to find some information on Challenger's online store hachi tech and Powerpac website. There were no reviews on this.

Ardon and I went down to the same Challenger store on another day. This time, we checked with the salesperson and knew that it did not come with extra tools like the crevice tool and corner brush. However, at that price point, it was still a good deal since we felt that the suction power of a vacuum cleaner is the most important. Having extra tools would be a bonus but not critical.

After using this Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808 for a few times, we decided it was time to write a review on this.

It has a power consumption of 800 watts. Although having high power consumption does not necessarily mean good suction power, it's the only indication of its suction power if no other information is given. The suction power of this Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808 was definitely strong and we could feel the wind when the vacuum cleaner was switched on. It was lightweight, making it easy for me to use and carry around. I was initially worried that it could not vacuum/go under our bed and was pleasantly surprised that it could. Our bed is about 19 to 20 cm above the floor.

There is a button at the bottom of the main body for switching between vacuuming hard floor and vacuuming a carpet. See the picture below.

Bottom part of Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808

This is also a 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner. The portable vacuum cleaner could be released by the press of a button.

Full view of Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808

Handy vacuum cleaner

This Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808 used a HEPA filter. It also used a washable dust cap instead of dust bag. The dust capacity was 0.8 litres. So far, it seemed large enough for vacuuming our whole flat. It could be folded when not in use, so we can put it in a corner of the living room without it taking too much space and is not so conspicuous.

Handle folded

The electrical cord of this Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808 was only 5 metres, so it was not long enough to go around the house. The way to get around this was either to plug and unplug using different sockets or to use an extension cord.

Below are the pros and cons of this Powerpac iVac Stick Vacuum PPV808.

Pros:

1. Good suction

2. Light weight

3. Economical

4. 2-in-1

5. Compact/easy storage

6. HEPA filtration

7. Bagless

8. Can vacuum under our bed

Cons:

1. The wheels do not roll smoothly
2. Electrical cord not long enough to go around the house
3. No extra tools
4. On/off switch position was not at a convenient position