What's a contender to an Audio Reference 5 SE?

I really appreciate all of the responses. Well ok, most of them. I'm not going to Radio Shack. :-) I'm definitely going to look into some of the suggestions though.

@Jafant
Thanks for your suggestions. It's interesting to me that you characterized cabling as more important than the preamp. I'm really not interested in opening up the cable can of worms. I'm actually more than pleased with my combination of Dream State Audio (Dream Catcher and Lucid) and Silver Circle Audio Vesuvius power cords, Silver Circle Audio Bi-Wired Monorails speaker cables, Silver Circle Audio XLR Interconnects (pre to amp) and High Fidelity RCA Interconnects for analog front end.

@Georgelofi
You are 100% correct sir. IF I keep the EMM Labs gear I have no need of a separate preamp. However, I'm contemplating moving away from that gear, in which case I will be in the market for a pre and a CD/SACD player.

@Pani
Do you mean the Conrad Johnson GAT? Isn't the ART an amp? It may not be fully founded but I'm a bit turned off of Conrad due to lack of XLR connections. I experienced a noticeable improvement over RCA from the EMM Labs DCC2 to the Plinius using XLR so I'm not sure I want to give that up. I may also want that connection flexibility when I look for a CD/SACD player as well. But I will certainly check out these units you mentioned! Thanks again!

@melbguy1 Many thanks for your post, and I was even keeping up with you pretty good, until you started suggesting integrated amps?  I already have an amp.  If I have misunderstood you please forgive me.  Sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake.  :-)

@lak 
Many thanks!  That's the kind of information I'm looking for!

@bo1972 
You win the contest for the most words but not very helpful advice.  Except that you don't like Audio Research.

@minorl I wish it were as simple as "listen for yourself".  For some of us that is simply not possible.  There is no place to do that, and certainly not in my own space with my own gear.  That's why we wade through all of this and try to make the best decision we can before we vote with our $.

@bo1972 Ok, ok.  Your points are more than well documented by now.  You are now just bothersome.  You might be a nice enough person but here you're coming off condescending and rude.  I would be happy if you just moved on, please.  You are having 100% no bearing on my decision. 

@minorl Oddly enough Plinius recommends their own brand.  The price point was pretty much set when I asked for contenders TO the 5SE.  Sure, I would consider used.  So if the 5SE sells for $13k new I would like other recommendations somewhere in that range.  Then I would consider used of those same brands/models, ergo "apples to apples".

Ok, at the risk of waking up "you know who" I want to tell you where I'm at now with my thinking and see what you more knowledgeable people have to say.

1) Right, wrong or indifferent I do think I'm set on trying a tube preamp with my solid state Plinius SA-Reference.amp.  So we can stop discussing solid state amps for now.

2) When I asked for "contenders" to the ARC Ref 5SE I should have been more clear that I meant "somewhere in the similar price range".  While I'm sure some of the pieces suggested are just phenomenal, some of them are 2-3 times the price range indicated.

3) That being said and all other things being equal (same room, same other gear, same cables, etc.) which of the following 3 choices do you think is going to throw the widest, deepest, tallest sound stage and provide the most distinctive image?
ARC Reference 5SE
Allnic L-3000 Mk 2
VAC Renaissance Mk3

Thank you for participating.

@bo1972 you have not added even one shred of value to this discussion.  You have attempted to dominate someone else's thread, looking for real advice, with constant negativity about one brand in particular without ONCE offering an alternative.

But thank you to everyone else who offered advice and worthwhile opinions.  I went with the Allnic L-3000 Mk II.

@melbguy1 You have an interesting perspective.  But I was never suggesting a $20k preamp.  I was asking for suggestions comparable to an ARC Ref 5SE which is $13k new.  So with the Plinius total investment would be in the $33k-$35k range for amp and preamp.  While I'm sure the Vitus SIA-025 integrated is a very good piece of gear, I'm not sure I would consider it at $27k and only 25 watts of Class A power compared to the other gear.

@stringreen I don't remember if it was here or not but someone did mention Ayre and I did look at them.  But in the end went with the Allnic.

@lak Since your response was really the only one with real world experience with the same amp I took your advice and got a new Allnic L-3000 Mk II.  Even with only about 40 hours on it I am simply ecstatic.  Thanks again for the solid advice!

@lak I'm using a Silver Circle Audio Vesuvius.