The Zu cables look to be a gift at the price you paid.

As far as break in goes, I would say they will get slightly better over the next 200 hours of use. If they are not fully broken in by then, the sound character will not be changing much.

I am with you about spending big dollars on interconnects. I know there is some great expense to having custom metal urgy done.
But, some of the prices that the high end cable companies are asking for their products is indecent. And some of their advertisement tactics are even more indecent. Life is not always about us and our ego's.

Isn't this hobby suppose to be about the music?

Keep us posted about the break in progress of the Zu cables?

Norris