I currently play on a Trevor James Privilege, which quite honestly is a great flute with a very mature sound. However I've been wanting to upgrade to a more advanced/intermediate level, as I wish to pursue flute studies and take music performance seriously.

Now, the only thing is that my budget is $2000-$2900.

I'm hoping I could get some advice on which flutes I could try that are excellent for that price range (which I understand is pretty limited).
I'm looking for a flute with a super sweet sound, and preferably a C# trill.

Thank you!

Also: I've already tried the Powell Sonaré 705 with 9k Aurumite lip plate, Di Zhao 700, and Azumi Z3.
They're all very nice, (the Azumi and Sonare in particular) but I would like to see what else is out there before narrowing my choices down to these three.

Are you willing to consider used flutes? You could probably find a Muramatsu EX for around $2900. I'm not an expert on flutes, but I love my Muramatsu, and have heard it called a low-end professional flute.

I've always wanted to learn to play flute. Any tips on where to start?