i am going to be updrading flutes soon, i currently have a geminhardt that ive had since 7th grade and im a senior in high school. im looking at a amadeus haynes af900 or a trevor james. which is better? and what do you prefer?

1: What's your budget?
2: Are there any special features that you need?
3: Metal makes no difference, so you can safely get the lower level "plated" intermediate or pro model and it will play the same.

But, yeah - it's all about the budget. Give us a number to work with and the responses will come flooding in

There really is no price range it's going to be on a payment plan from the music store.

Plated keys may play the same, but might make a difference 10 years from now when the plating wears off. Plated keys are also more difficult to be repaired if damaged.

If you can afford it, I'd take solid silver keys any day over plated ones.

If there is no price range, then get I'd recommend a Powell or a Sankyo. Both are top notch and even their least expensive models are anything but "entry level".

But you'd have to hear them and play them of course. The Sankyo has a very different sound compared to the Powell.

Well I mean I don't want to go that expensive! I'm gonna be starting college in August and I have to pay for that too.

Here are some great flutes you can get for under 2k USD:

Azumi
Solexa
Trevor James
Di Zhao

All brands I have played and love. Azumi and Solexa are my favorites at the moment.