I'm not a contester either and I personally wouldn't spring for a rig as pricey as the Yaesu FTDX-5000. At one time I might have been convinced to take the plunge, but I've played with high end rigs and the real world difference in performance between a 5K rig and a $1500 rig is not what the price difference might lead you to expect.

I say this not to disparage the high end rigs, but to celebrate the lower end rigs and what they're capable of!