What are the most balanced relatively neutral cartridges at each price level ?

I don’t think this is such a vague question, but I think it may be difficult to answer, since we all hear cartridges through our systems that have certain deviations from neutrality.

At level 3, I think my Lyra Kleos is pretty neutral, but when I compare it to a CD or digital high-res version of the same album, the digital tends to have more high-frequency content (and not always in a good, more musical way), so I don’t know if that means the Kleos or my phono cables are rolled off on top or if this is an artifact of my digital system.  (I have a Denafrips Venus 15 R2R DAC, and these are said to be pretty close to analog sound, and I think it is.) There may be some limitations from my tonearm, too, the Eminent Technology ET-2, which reviewers thought had less deep bass than the SME V, which was often considered a reference tonearm back in the day.

Do you mean to tell me the SME V is not still considered a reference tonearm?  I must be seriously out of touch.  Please define what you mean by reference.

Lyra haters?

Kleos SL under $5k

micro detail / transients machine

Not my reference point, never was even back in the day when I had tape decks and recorded live bands.  For me references are musical instruments, performances, people I am familiar with.  I know what a Yamaha C7 sounds like and if in doubt I can listen to the one that is in my listening room.  I know what K. Zildjian cymbals sound like, my Ludwig drum set has two rides, one crash and a pair of hi-hats sitting right beside me.  I go to live performances regularly, have perfect pitch. Know violins from violas and can tell when someone is out of tune.  Frankly I don't see anything wrong with using digital references.  Master dubs on the other hand I have a problem with.  Where did they come from?  What mics were used?  How many mics?  What kind of a mixing console?  Who was the engineer?  It is hard to know some times.  Might be good, might not.