Beethoven String Quartets: DDD recordings....

May as well throw another 2 cents into the mix: the Alban Berg Quartet set of the later quartets is also very fine (this is DDD: the studio recordings. I'm not familiar with the live versions). But the best of all to many, including me, is pre-DDD, the Vegh set on Valois. Leg35al (how are you, Joyce?) is entirely correct about multiple versions of the quartets never being too many.

The Vegh, particularly for the later quartets, are my favorite. The sound quality is is better for not being DDD. It is beautiful, timbrally correct analog. The LPs have gorgeous sound; I haven't heard the transfer to CD.

How about the Smetana Quartet? I use to own some of their Denon releases which I thought were quite stellar...and DDD to boot...any thoughts?

I'll weigh in with a vote for the Takacs as well. I heard their middle quartets for the first time just this week and was very impressed--love their Bartok too. For years I've enjoyed the Cleveland Quartet recordings and am not about to stop, but the Takacs is indeed special. Based on this thread, I'm eager to hear the Vermeer and Vegh as well--whether something is DDD or not doesn't matter much in my mind. There's many old Decca recordings that stand up sonically to what's being "waxed" today. I also enjoy going back to the old Italian Quartet Beethoven cycle on Philips, especially for the middle quartets--they had such grace.