I'd avoid buying knife sets altogether and just buy the knives that you need. Although I have quite a number of knives in different styles, I can get by with just four knives and a steel for most of my work (aside from sushi where I would want a Yanagi (Japanese sashimi knife) although a Sujihiki (Japanese slicer) can be used in a pinch. IMO, the four knives that are the most important for me are:
- Gyuto (Japanese chef's knife). All purpose knife.
- Sujihiki (Japanese slicer). For filleting and slicing fish.
- Flexible boning knife. For butchering meats. (A cheap Dexter Russell is perfectly fine)
- Paring knife. For peeling, turning vegetables, etc... (Buy whatever's cheap)
I rarely, almost never, use a serrated knife since I keep my knives sharp enough to easily cut thru even the softest bread. If you really must have a serrated knife, my advice is to just buy a cheap Dexter Russell brand for under $20.
If you know how to take care of knives properly, it's a good investment to buy the best you can afford.
If you don't know how to take care of knives, I'd buy something cheaper until you learn how. Practicing on a $20 knife that you can screw up is a lot less painful than screwing up a $200+ knife.
For standard chef's knives, my recommended brands are:
For under $20: Dexter Russell
For under $50: Victorinox
For under $100-150: Togiharu, Masahiro, Yoshihiro, MAC
For over $200: Misono, Suisin