Well to be honest I think the availablity of records is a great thing. I can reach for my cd collection and have the NY Phil Brass section or the CSO with Herseth coming through my stereo - not the same as seeing a live concert, but since these orchestras don't tour very often it's the closest I can get.
I think a lot of us UK types listen to the US orchestras, and some of my absolute favourite interpretations come from across the pond. That said, I'll be playing a Mahler symphony with an orchestra in the next few months, and I've been listening to an NYPO recording, a Weiner Phil one and have seen the LSO do it live - I'll try to draw something from everyone, but I'll still be using my Bb, and ultimately will still sound like me (unfortunately
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I think it's good in that hearing new recordings you might realise something about the piece you never noticed before - perhaps some slightly different emphasis in a phrase, or a completely different approach. The "danger" I suppose comes from a so-called "definitive" recording, which might cause people to imitate it - perhaps at the expense of differing interpretations.