shielded vs unshielded pros and cons?

In my builds it is clear that shielding a cable using conventional methods like foils and braided copper tubing closed in and darkened the sound. Unshielded ICs sounded more open, detailed and nuanced in my experience. Now some designs bypass these negative effects by shielding in a different manner and with SOTA materials. (Look up Hapa Audio for example)


Not one easy answer to the OP’s question.

If using the common twisted pair type of IC design, then using all natural conductor coverings like silk and cotton with no shield will sound best in most audio systems. Phono cables must be shielded however.


So many different designs out there that one cannot say shielding is always this or that.  Too many variables. 

Point of clarification,

“If using the common twisted pair type of IC design, then using all natural conductor coverings like silk and cotton with no shield will sound best in most audio systems. Phono cables must be shielded however.”

I should have said will typically sound wonderful and not necessarily the BEST in most systems.  Again, too many variables in design and system to system. 

So… pretty much try both shielded and unshielded cables and decide which works best in your system?

@rfnolse,
Comparing both types of interconnect cables directly in your own system is the idea circumstance if at all possible. As @grannyring pointed out there are multiple variables that could make one the better option over the other.

For my audio system solid silver wire conductor unshielded cables utilizing a paper covering/dielectric (Organic /all natural material as grannyring alluded to) sound sublime. Another system using shielded stranded copper with Teflon (Synthetic material) covering/dielectric could be every bit as successful. It all depends. Again compare both and just listen.
Charles

@rsjm80 - first you have to consider the application of the cable in question...

1. interconnects used to connect a turntable to the phono stage - this signal is very small and it is amplified significantly more than the signal from the phono stage to the amp/pre-amp - so any noise in that cable will be amplified to easily discernible audible levels
2. interconnects used to connect the phono stage (or other similar device) to the amp/pre-amp - this signal is significantly larger and requires much less amplification - as a consequence any resulting noise is less noticeable

Also - with #1 - it also depends on the components being connected
e.g. in my system a cable without dense shielding (< 50% coverage) performed extremely well - whereas in a friends system a lot of hum was produced when connecting a turntable

Cables like Stager Silver Solid interconnects, that have no shielding sound more open and dynamic than many cables with shielding, i.e. when used in scenario #2, but may have problems when used in scenario #1

Cables without shielding generally perform much better, but this may be due to

1. the type of wire used
2. the type of insulation used
3. the type of geometry used
4. the type of connector used

So as you can see - as with anything in this hobby - there is not a simple answer

Hope that helps - Steve