Adam,
By your own admission it felt "less 'firm' and responsive than the ones I'm used to.", so leaving aside the (endless) Turbine Vs. Piston debate isn't it more a question of flying a well maintained machine? I say look for a school with a great reputation, get a demo flight in an R44 (you'll love it). You'll benefit from a machine you can carry passengers in, at a (much) lower cost per hour. Then, take a look at the accident reports out there for Helicopters. I worry more about pilot error than engine failures.
Safe flying.
Vr