I was just wondering what is your perfered brand out of these intruments, and if you had any experience with any of these. Which one is your favorite?

Powell, but I am biased

Powell is in a whole other class then the others mentioned. A Sonare couldn't even come close!

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Altus is okay but I actually got more colors and better sound out of a Yamaha

Azumi is fantastic and my favorite as far as intermediate flutes go. I think it is better then some pro flutes I have tried!

Sonare I do not care for at all. The mechanism was horrible on the few that I had tried. The mechanism played and felt cheap.

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Oh yes and I forgot to add Powell. Now ask anyone on this board who knows me that I am biased towards Powell. For me the sound and colors I get on this flute are like no others. I have played many different brands but Powell really stood out sound wise from the rest of them. They are so solid built that I like to joke and say I could drop one from the top of my house roof and nothing would happen to it. Now, I have played on flutes with a lighter mechanism that to me felt a bit better. If I could get the Miyazawas or Muramatus mechanism on a Powell it would be the perfect flute for me.

yea, ur right!

I found the same thing in the Azumi when I tried it out. I made the choice to get a Azumi as a 8th grade graduation present, lol. I'm really surprised by the Azumi!

Some people are JUST flutists and then it does matter.

Powell.

i think im the only one on this board who can honestly say that i dont like powell. id pick anything over a powell any day. i think the powell flutes seem too bulky, especially for the size a flute is. i made the comparison of a powell to those ghetto-cruiser cars: i think a powell is like a chevy aveo getting 22" rims, when a flute should really be like the same vehicle, but with 14" rims. i dont like any of their headjoints, either. the cut just seems off for me. however, if you really like powell, id suggest a signature with a different headjoint and take it to a good flute repair person and have then readjust the tension.

the altus... i like them but they seem to play sharper than almost any other flute ive played. i know its because its a japanese flute, but it seems that the middle and high register is so sharp that my tuner picks it up as a completely different note. i own a mursmatsu (also a japanese flute) and it doesnt play half as sharp as the altus did for me. i dont know... the tuning just sucked on it.

the azumi is a nice intermediate flute but you can spend just a bit more money and get an introductory professional model, depending on which azumi model youre looking at. im biased (as many people are towards powells.... glare) towards the dean yang flute. personally id recommend that flute over the azumi any day.

the sonare... if you buy that i may have to beat you. the mechanism sucks. i knew someone who had one and they had some serious mechanism problems. they were always taking it in to have it adjusted and such. id put in the category (mechanism wise) with those ebay flutes. ok, maybe a step or two above that, but... just... no.

im just really picky about flutes, ok? but what i say is most likely completely different than your likings so whatever.

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ok, i wouldnt pick ANYTHING over a powell... but if you gave me the choice of a miyazawa and a powell, id take the miyazawa. if you gave me the choice of a gemeinhardt and a powell, id take the powell.

i think im the only one on this board who can honestly say that i dont like powell. id pick anything over a powell any day.

WHAT!! GRRR.... and here I thought you were cool and I liked you. Hahaha. Just kidding of course!

youre just jealous because im too good for a powell flute.

:-)

Haha! I have never heard that one before! If you met my flute, you would say that no one is good enough for her. Just as Dennis.

then im sure her and my flute would get along famously. she is spoiled and she thinks shes too good for anyone, even me at times. haha

my powell has super light mechanism, but it is potentially a problem because it can get out of adjustment easily

I like the 2100 series Powells, they do have a lighter mechanism then the newer ones.