My last, last, piece of advice : Don't let anybody tell you that you'll 'grow into it' or you'll eventually like XXX flute after you play it for a few (several) months (years). Decide for yourself exactly what you want in a flute.

If you do, chances are very good that you'll end up disappointed. But with so many choices out there these days, the best way to buy a good flute really is to go through the sometimes tedious and time consuming process of trying them all out to see which is best for your needs. Remember, these are just my opinions and you will likely get many more some will disagree with my assessments as well. These makers are at the top end of your price range (depending on where you buy), but probably well worth looking at. If you can, please consider Lyric (which I would place above all three of the above), Avanti, Jupiter 700 series, deMedici, and Altus. I've played all of these.ДЄmadeus (there is no way I would ever buy one of these for reasons I will not post publicly) Having said that, because you have apparently narrowed it to three brands and are asking for opinions on which of those three we, ourselves, might purchase if in the same position, here is the order I would put them in based on what I like in a flute and what I know of its construction. Usually, there is no definitive answer given beyond playtesting whatever you can find in your price range and buying whichever of those works best for you. This type of question comes up often on this forum.

85 year anniversary altus flute