I have some high grade digital recordings and vinyl cuts of them, and on a great many of them the 500 is pretty much the only cartridge that seems to mimic the original digital sound faithfully in "tone". The high compliance ellipticals are a little too recessed in the mids and hyped in the highs, and the ALII is lacking in micro-tracking ability, transient speed, and extreme extension on top & bottom. But it seems like something in between the two tips would probably be a sweet spot. I would put the Audio Technicas in second place in this regard, though they seem to be lower distortion carts.