ProComp/Speedmaster aluminum heads

If I try the SM's I would definitely like to leave my cam as it is and see if I get any change. It would give me good knowledge on how the 596's were holding up to the task...
Not necessarily.
It might just show you that with a small cam, better heads don’t do all that much for you.

From the “everyone’s an expert file”, IMO that 10deg split of your current cam isn’t helping you any.