recommended versions of Beethoven symphonies?

anybody got any favorite versions of Beethoven symphonies?
I just got into the 9th and am floored by it's brilliance. I would like to become familiar with the better recordings of it and the others (the best performances as good as available sonically). I have a vinyl copy whose sonics are great and the orchestra seems excellent; but I'm new to these waters. It is a Japanese pressing from 1977; dennon "pcm recording" (mfg'd by Nippon Columbia co.). vaclav neumann conducting the czech philharmonic orchestra; prague philharmonic choir. I stumbled on this in mint condition for $6.00 and it blew me away (very intricate and subtle instumentation). so i went out and got all 9 in a set on cd: the Karajan 1963 versions, remastered 1997 on Deutsche Grammaphone. this seems to be recommended by some as "the best". I dunno about that but the 9th and the 1st (all i've heard so far) are certainly amazing! very powerful! quite different in places in approach from the vinyl 9th described above.
So: what else should I seek out?
Thanks very much for your thoughts.