Well, I'm done with this thread!
Thanks to ThatDrummerGuy, I began to heavily lean towards the Alesis DM8 because of the more versatile cymbals. The other major factor: I found a pretty killer deal on them: $379 from Amazon.com. Even combined with the pedal I purchased (Pearl 900, seems popular, solid), it was less expensive than the DM6 from the cheapest Canadian vendor. It did need to be shipped to a US address, but that's not all that far from me, especially given the $200 price difference (provided I don't get nailed on duty!).
I appreciate everyone's input and will let you know how I adjust :)