There are some exceptions, however. The Berlin Fourth and Eighth are more incisive and engaging performances (with the Eighth receiving far superior recorded sound), while the Fourth is one of the finest in the catalog. On the other hand, the Dresden Seventh is more expansive and transcendent, while Jochum's darkly dramatic Dresden Ninth is considered to be a classic. DG's recordings wear quite well (only the 1958 Fifth betrays its age through tape hiss and limited dynamics) with a brighter, sharper sound overall than EMI's (which compensates with greater depth and presence). Frankly, it's difficult to choose between the two editions. But either way you go, Jochum's work is too important not to be in every Bruckner lover's collection, and at budget price there's little reason for it not to be.