You will not cause any damage, regardless of the direction of the cable. as for why it sounds better with the shielded end at the source, I suspect its because you are preventing outside distortions from entering the cable at the source, and therefore not being carried through your system. Once a distortion enters the system, there is no way to remove it. Prevention is much more important than cure.
Think of it this way. In your turntable, you want a vibrationless bearing, not some plinth material that tries to absorb the vibration, which can never be completely accomplished. Same with your cables. Dont let outside distortion in, and you wont have to deal with it down the road.
Think of it this way. In your turntable, you want a vibrationless bearing, not some plinth material that tries to absorb the vibration, which can never be completely accomplished. Same with your cables. Dont let outside distortion in, and you wont have to deal with it down the road.