I think Hawtin's superb. Never seen him live, but I've got lots of his mixes, and I've never heard any bad mixing from the man, unlike certain other top jocks (Mills?). I only go for his minimal sets, but in hunting these down I've found sets from him that were funky, bouncy techno, then others that are much harder - the guy can play all styles.
DE9 is my favourite mix of all time. Obviously I wouldn't want to hear that in a club, but for after hours chill out with friends it is perfect. Relaxed and gentle, but without losing the beat. Sweet.
Of course some people find him boring, because he plays slow, dubby stuff, and some people refuse to listen to anything that isn't mind-bendingly tough. For me, when I go out I like it hard and nasty, and I want to stomp at high speeds, but when I'm at home, chilling out, I want something a bit slower, and better produced. Everything in it's place!