Totem Sinew vs Acoustic Zen Matrix ll??

I too, found better cables for my Totem Forest than the Sinew/Tress. Although I did think the Sinew/Tress was among the best I had used with them. For me, Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ and Magic Links sounded better. Haven't tried the Acoustic Zen, and only limited experience with the Cardas, and not with my Totem system.

fwiw I found AZ Matrix Ref I and II to be good cables but a bit on the warm and thick side. In fact everything I have tried from AZ has a bit of this quality, I do like them but have moved on since then (don't we all?)

I have AZ marix matrix reference II and also Audioquest cheetah 72v dbs. Aq was much better cable, more transparent and with better inner detail-silence.

I have Plinius & Totem as well, but I'm using the Acoustic Zen Silver Reference IIs to good effect. Did you ever settle this issue for yourself?

Totem doesn't claim that their cables are the best to use with their products, and will gladly discuss upgrade options with you. They recommended Harmonic to me as a brand they've had a lot of success with.

I used Sinew in my system for quite a while, occasionally swapping them out for Acoustic Zen, Audioquest, Anti-Cables, 47 labs, and a few others. I didn't think that the minor sonic upgrades from these were worth the price until I tried Cardas Golden Reference. I'm now using Crystal Standard with my Mani-2's and am very happy with that combination.

Totem's cables are great mid-range offerings that are priced very attractively for what they do.