While there is some good advice here, the bottom line of all this is usually that if you're a serious player, you're going to eventually upgrade (those of you that haven't or don't see the need to, I understand). You're so serious about playing that you'll always be on the look out for the next best way to improve your sound, this is just human nature.
I look at this from a financial perspective. If you say, buy a set of ZBT's, you've invested in a set of cymbals. When you want to upgrade, you'll be adding newer, better ones, and over time, you will have replaced your initial investment. So I say, if you're emulating the greats, then you will be at least checking out what they use and if their sound is your sound, you'll most likely upgrade into those models. So why not just buy cymbals once? If you like Zildjian A's, then get a set of A's and be done with it. You will have an investment that you can grow old with and can gig with without thinking it won't handle what you throw at it. If you want to add a couple of different flavors later, you can, but you won't need to replace the set you already have.
With the exception of adding that monster 24" K Light Ride, I've been playing the same cymbal set now for almost 25 years. Am I happy with my investment? Of course. Some odd-ball cymbals came and went, but my core set is still the same.
I understand that cheap cymbals can sound good, and I had some when I was a kid, but they're unacceptable for the people I play with now. If people you play with are used to the sounds they hear from the radio, then I would give it to them.