Cue, if you're looking for the brightest possible small light, neither one of these is right for you. They don't aim to be bright as can be. They aim to be "bright enough". They are most useful for close-up lighting and walking around; throw is not that large for either of them and IMO small differences in throw are irrelevant.
If you want a bright light in this kind of form factor, get an Arc LS or Firefly. A 5mm light just isn't going to cut it. If you must have a 5mm 1AA EDC light and are obsessed with throw, get an Inova X1, though most people don't like the X1 because of its lack of useful spill. The X1 is about throw and nothing but throw. I doubt you'd really be happy with it.
In other regards, I have the Arc AAA (supposed to have very similar beam to the AA) and several variants of the CMG Infinity including the Ultra-G. I like the CMG's wider spill beam even if it decreases throw, and I like its lower cost. But the Arc's construction and cosmetics are superior, and the Arc AA's tailstand is a very nice feature. The Arc AA is also a little smaller than the CMG, also nice in this type of light. Though if tiny size is really an issue, the Arc AAA is a far better choice than anything else mentioned so far. (The CMG Sonic is nowhere near as good a light as either the Infinities or the Arc AAA).
I've found very few situations where a 5mm light is "almost bright enough", i.e. a minor increase would make any practical difference. If you want to light something far away, you want a much brighter light. Your best bet is to carry the 5mm light as a companion for a brighter, shorter-running light, anything from an Arc LS to a 3-cell Surefire.
