Zildjian ZBT 3 Box Set

Zildjian zbt's are ok as a starter cymbal pack.  These sound a lot better than the stock cymbals that came with my first drum kit, but not by much.  These are cheap, and have pretty great value.  This is their best attribute.  Any drummer who wants to seriously gig or record also has to realize that he/she will probably want to get rid of these after a short period of time.  That is why the low price is good, they can be used as a springboard. 

As far as the sound goes, I have never been impressed.  The crash is ok, very loud but lacking in any desirable character.  It has a reasonably fast decay and any noise remaining after a few seconds is undesirable ringing.  It does not respond well to light strokes, so it has to be struck hard to sound decent.  The ride is absolutely disgusting.  Even through hard rock, it sound bad.  The ugly overtones and ringing is rough on the eardrums and the surface sounds way to stiff.  Even when playing with wood sticks it sounds like plastic tips are being used.  The saving grace of the ride is the bell, which actually sounds ok.  The hi hats are the highlight of the pack.  They are the most important cymbal for beginners so this is refreshing.  They have pretty good volume, stick definition, and chick.  They mix with music pretty well, and I have actually seen them in use more than any other zbt's.

I don't mean to be to harsh on an entry level cymbal set.  They are a good value for what they are.  For a price like this, I am a bigger fan of Sabian b8's, which have a much better ride and crash sound.  Honestly, I would avoid entry level cymbals alltogether if possible and just save for good ones.  I did, and i thanked myself later.  The mere fact that these are in a box is suspect, because unless they can be played extensively before purchase I wouldn't suggest buying  any cymbal without hearing it.  This pack is mediocre.