Out of the brands listed in the title which do you think are better and some of the reasons your input is really greatful

well said, if you listen to us you will just get confused, try this, see if you can go someplace where you can try several brands and do it blindfolded...

They are all fantastic and one is not better than the other but my favorite would have to be Powell. Why? Because of the control I have on it and the sound I get from it.

As has already been stated, they are all excellent flutes, and along with several other makers, make up the majority of the custom flute industry. Any rankings or preference you get will be only opinion, and if you're shopping for a flute, our opinions don't matter one iota. You need to play these and decide which make (and model) suits you and your needs best. I own instruments from two of those makers (Powell and Muramatsu) and like both a great deal. My Muramatsu is a back up flute, but is a magnificent instrument that I found for a great price. Last time I was shopping, I nearly purchased a Mura DS, before settling on my primary flute. I also have a kingwood Powell piccolo which is simply superb. I'm not a huge fan of the way Powell flute heads are cut, but they're undeniably excellent instruments. I've played flutes from every maker on your list, and they're all different, offering different traits, but all are of excellent quality and could potentially last a player many years, so to say which is best is HIGHLY subjective.

Just to agree with everybody here and put some more wood in the fire, I own a Sankyo K14 as my main instrument. It came already with an excelent headjoint, imho, but I wanted more. So I bought a Nagahara head and that's just what I wanted for my professional playing at the orchestra.
Backup is an old standart all silver Muramatsu, that besides being 30 years+ old is an excelent instrument.
To decide among those wonderful brands you pointed is just a matter of trying every single one and making your own judgement about what is the one that fits you the best. What I think will make a difference is not this or that brand, but the cuts of the headjoints.

A more important question is what is your intended use and price-range?

Maybe the original poster, isn't shopping for a flute and just was curious about what we liked. I think we may have jumped to some conclusions.

If you can get your hands on one ... Sakurai is an EXCELLENT flute. I can feel the molecules moving through my fingertips! Well, at least I believe I can, and THAT is what matters. Anyway, if you can try one, I think in the professional catagory, Sakurai may be the "best bang for your buck".

I've played several Sakurai flutes, and I my experience was a polar opposite of yours. I found the response to be very slow, the tone mediocre at best (and difficult to control color-wise), the mechanism boxy, and the scale merely workable. Overall, it was not one of my favorite makes of flute in the price range, and I would not suggest them myself. In the introductory pro range range, I think you can get much better instruments for the money and do it much more easily. Last I checked, there was only one distributor of Sakurai flutes in the US, vs. the untold number of sellers who deal in Yamahas, Muramatsus, Miyazawas, etc.

I have to agree with Kara, although she and I have had differences of opinions on just "which flute the 'beginner' should play".

The best choice is Powell. As a young flute player, in the 60s', it was my fortune to live in Boston, where I was able to play (in their respective factories) both Haynes and Powell, and in my humble opinion, the Powell overshadowed the Haynes in both response and tonal sonority.

I'm sure it has been mentioned in the forum previously, but, remember that Haynes and Powell are "hand-made" flutes. As such, no two flutes will be alike (as opposed to "student" flutes, cranked and stamped out by machinists).

As an example, at the Powell factory, I played 4 different flutes ---- each one with a different "tension-spring" strength (which can be adjusted)--- each one with a different response and tonal sonority.

It remains a very personal choice. IF you are lucky enough to live in the Boston area, it would be wise to visit their shops and play the different flutes they are offering for sale. When I lived in New York in the 60's, it used to be that you had to be placed on a "waiting list" to get your flute. UNLESS you went directly to the Boston factories. THEN, you could "pick" the flute that best suited you.

That holds true for any of the "hand-made" flutes --- regardless of make --- versus the "stamped-out" editions offered as "student-model" flutes from Elkhart, Indiana.

So that you should know, in my conversation with professional flutists, recently: Haynes has somewhat "slipped" in quality.

Regards, Jim Millen
Chamber Music Society of Chicago.

The best choice is Powell.

As has been discussed numerous times in the past (including in this very thread), any statement such as this is inaccurate. There are many VERY fine quality flutes out there (Powell among them), and as long as they are in good condition, it's impossible to say that one is better than another. You may prefer Powells to other handmade flutes, but that does not make them definitively better, as every player has different preferences and needs. Take it from someone who plays a Powell as one of their primary instruments that they are NOT necessarily the best choice.

As a young flute player, in the 60s', it was my fortune to live in Boston, where I was able to play (in their respective factories) both Haynes and Powell, and in my humble opinion, the Powell overshadowed the Haynes in both response and tonal sonority.

Which of course is preference once again (and related far more to the player than the flute), and the fact that you preferred the response and tone of the Powells better does not mean that they're better flutes in general.

I'm sure it has been mentioned in the forum previously, but, remember that Haynes and Powell are "hand-made" flutes. As such, no two flutes will be alike (as opposed to "student" flutes, cranked and stamped out by machinists).

Quite apart from the variable of players and their individual desires, this makes it even more unreasonable to label Powells (or any other flute at the handmade level) as the "best choice." Even among student flutes of the same make and model, there can indeed be differences, just as with higher level instruments. Machine-made does not mean that they're identical in every way, and even small differences in the flute can make a relatively large impact in how it plays.

That holds true for any of the "hand-made" flutes --- regardless of make --- versus the "stamped-out" editions offered as "student-model" flutes from Elkhart, Indiana.

Much has changed since the 60's, and very few student flutes are actually coming from Elkhart in comparison to what they were once producing. Most of the "American" flute brands have at least been built in part in Asia or some other part of the world, and the Japanese/Taiwanese-based flutemakers and those in other nations overseas are taking over a good chunk of the flute market.

So that you should know, in my conversation with professional flutists, recently: Haynes has somewhat "slipped" in quality.

Which is all relative. If you're buying a handmade Haynes, they'll still be excellent flutes, though you may find that you prefer an older Haynes to a modern one. Of course, there are many more flutes to consider than simply Haynes and Powell, so don't limit yourself to these two makes.

Jim says he does agree with me, but I must clarify I do not think that Powell is the "best" choice, I said it was my favorite. I also like many others like... Muramatsu, Miyazawa, Burkart, Haynes and Yamaha.

What's your intended use and price range? I mean, if money's no object, look at Landell or one of the other small shops. For name brand, I personally like Miyazawa. I prefer heavily overbuilt mechanisms as I tend to be tough on them. YMMV of course.