well, i asked for opinions so let them fly :)
there are some real gems from detroit. also a bunch of stinkers and overrated "classics." but there's a sense of freedom in a lot of early techno--not just from detroit--that i miss. however, a lot sounds too dated for most people nowadays. but some guys, like rob hood, were making music that still sounds really fresh today.
i bring him up because a lot of his records have been rereleased recently, and it blows most of today's minimal out of the water.