tim098, i dont think that helps; besides, the td-20's insanely priced.
i'll do up a review for the alesis dm5 pro based on Rhythm mag's later when i get home.
for your budget, i'd actually recommend the roland td-3kw. i dont like the hihat (i like the DTXpress IV's hihat; it's only included, for roland kits, in the higher-end kits like td-10 and td-20) , but prefer roland's versatility and pads. i use a td-3kw, btw.
DM5 Pro
Rhythm Mag's Jordan McLachlan rated the DM5 Pro 4 out of 5 stars
His comments as follows:
"As far as pocket-friendly electronic set-ups are concerned, the DM5 Pro makes a very convincing argument. You have to make allowances for certain aspects of its specification - the fiddliness of set-up/tear-down, the modest abilities of the brain, the simple cymbal pads and so on - but as a sub-BP400 package there's really nothing terribly off-putting about it. The DM5 Pro certainly feels more sophistical than the standard DM5 and, particularly if you're after a home-friendly kit to work on your chops and try new things, it'll make for a great partner."
My own break-down of the DM5 Pro.
Rack: From the pictures I've seen, it looks pretty sturdy and is almost similar to roland's. vast improvement from the DM5.
Pads: Yup, they might look like mesh heads, but they're not. In fact, they're plastic heads. And I quote, "The feel of the pads under the stick is very positive and a little less 'boingy' than some affordable mesh heads tend to be ..... But I like the tactility of the pads." Furthermore, 4 lugs enable the heads to be tensioned to your liking.
Module: 21 Kits, Over 500-odd sounds. Sounds more than decent for that price range to me. It might not provide you with the more realistic sounds you would hear from a roland/yamaha, but it does just fine a job for you, especially since it's for home practice.
sounds pretty good for a e-kit that cost a tad over a thousand buckeroos.
not too sure about pintech, but the pintech escape shouldnt be a problem since it uses a td-3 module, which is the same one used for a roland td-3kw kit. however the pintech Egig uses a pintech module which i know nothing about so cant really help you there.
If i were you, i'd get the DM5 Pro, then maybe upgrade it a little with say 2 more pads? a cymbal and tom pad.
just my 0.02, hope it does help a little.