You can’t help but get excited when a new flute is coming to the market and the Trevor James 5X certainly delivered when it was reviewed. It is specifically designed for the beginner player, and arguably the younger player, albeit without a curved head option.
The flute would also serve a beginner adult well too as it is easy to play and very accessible under the fingers. It is manufactured in Taiwan, a different factory to the 10x, but still has the good design and quality of the 10x flute. The build quality and presentation of the flute is very good.
The case is made well and practical with a separate fleece lined carry case complete with straps.
The flute is silver plated throughout and plays well. It is a solid build and gives a good tone. The flute is easy to assemble and will be more than enough for a player up to grade 2/3 level. If being used by an adult for recreational or enjoyment, without the pressure of exams, it is more than enough of a good flute to be “the flute” for many years.
The price is appealing and will hopefully be enough to stop the purchasing of low-quality flutes as starter flutes.
Time will tell as to how well the new 5x performs over a length of time, but all signs are good. We had our technicians look over the flute too and they were impressed with the build quality and agreed that the 5x offered a good quality “budget” flute to add to the options out there for the beginner player.
