I've done a mix, and I've enjoyed both. It all depends on how much the owner/techs are dedicated... for instance, Robert's VeroHost was reasonably large (or at least very well-known) and even though he was the only person he employed (besides his server monkey ;)) he was a great person to just talk to. He always had time to help out. Whereas my current host, for good reasons, doesn't have a lot of time, and likes to finish things quickly.