It seems like a lot of flutists who do get the jobs play golden flutes of some sort. Does anyone has any input on what metal is most preferable for an orchestral audition?

It really does not matter at all, in my opinion. At the risk of turning myauditions into a flute chatroom (it may already be too late!!), people play on many different brands and metals, and you should play whatever you sound best on. And frankly, behind a screen it is impossible to tell gold from silver from whatever anyway. I've played a silver flute at every audition I've taken, and while questions about what brand I play have come up a few times (unfairly, I think), metal has never been an issue.

I doubt there is a metal preference in auditions, but there could very well be a tonal preference. Granted, there are many differing opinions about whether the listener can tell the difference between a gold or silver flute. I've seen different studies on both sides of the fence. Also granted, the player can color the sound differently by choice.

Personally, I believe there is a audible difference between gold and silver. Which quality is preferred is a matter personal preference. I recently had several new headjoints on trial. 1 all silver, 2 silver with gold embouchure/riser, and 1 all 14K gold. Three of them were the same brand & cut. I asked my wife listen objectively from another room and rank her preference. I played a variety of excerpts on each head and mixed them in random order. For every excerpt, she ranked the 14K #1, and the all silver #4! Was that a scientific study? No. Did I buy the 14K? Yes!

Since then, I've had several people tell my that my sound is greatly improved and that was without them knowing that I had switched to a 14K headjoint. Draw your own conclusions...

It seems that if a flute section plays golden flutes they will be preferring someone playing one (especially if it is a principal flute audition) so that their job to match the principal will be easier. And vice versa - the silver flute section will be listening for a certain sound quality for they are used to it. Also to make the flute section sound like one (tone color?) may be it does matter what metal your flute is made out of?
Also if there will be two or three great players in the finals and one of them is playing a golden flute don't you think that the section (again - talking about a principal flute audition) will choose the one that "sounds like them" over the one that sounds different?
After all we all know - if you are good you are good, you can't help it!

Yep. Birds of a feather flock together...

As a string player, I can even tell the difference between the metals. As a personal preference, I prefer the gold (or actually platinum) flutes. But yes, you can definitely tell the difference, but it just depends on what sound the committee is looking for.

Don't change because you think it will make you more enviable. If you are good enough to win the audition anyways, they'll just ask you to play a different instrument if it's that big of a deal.

I think the important thing is simply how you sound. One person might make the sound "they" are looking for on a gold flute, another might make that special sound on a silver flute. I guess it's also possible that when the screen comes down for the finals, people might be swayed by what they see.

(My only experience as a "silver flutist" auditioning against a "gold flutist" was when the two of us were the two finalists for a principal job a few years ago. They didn't hire either of us)