Best sounding Beethoven symphony LPs

I cannot say enough about the Gardiner recordings - top of the list. Alas, CD only ...

Next would be Claudio Abbado's second set (live) with Berlin, released on DVD. WOW! Alas, DVD only ...

Next would be Kleiber, then Szell.

The Kleiber 5/7 is absolutely fantastic - good luck finding it. (Has been reissued in SACD.) It is a "Desert Island" disc for most who own it.

The Szell ones are hit and miss on sonics. I have an anniversary boxed set that is quite good (Columbia 1970, I think). Some great interpretations, some decent sonics, some real "yawn" moments, too.

Frankly I am not a fan of Bernstein and Karajan. To each his own ...

Sorry ... I realized after I posted my less than humble opinion that:
A. I had not answered the question, and
B. The first response did!

Sorry for the extra wind! :)

The Kleiber recordings of the Beethoven 5th and 7th on DGG (2530516 and 2530706) do appear fairly regularly on eBay and with dealers. There are lots of them out there and, as many have noted, they are well worth the search. They should not be very expensive when found.

The Kleiber 5/7 is absolutely fantastic - good luck finding it.

Sonically the Vanska series with the Minnesota SO are impressive - some better than others - just issued the last two - they are not in a box set but come 2 sym. per package - in SACD. For the best performances in a box set go with Karajan's first cycle with the BPO - issued in 1961-62 - inexpensive for the box.