I think Jason's doing it right, getting some nice rocking flow with a little bit of random thrown in. I wouldn't be at all surprised if his hunch about oxygen and waste exchange is right on. With a nice wave, just about ever section of every coral is hit by a little wave one way or another.
Brad (Mantis) and I both have a similar setup in our tanks as well. Brad specifically has some great looking SPS colonies, but doesn't hammer his tank with a ton of flow. Just a nice gentle back and forth that seems compatible with softies, LPS, and large SPS colonies alike. His largest SPS colony is the furthest from any pump at about 5-6'.