I would think that this question would best be answered by Don, the designer, himself. I have read that certain components sound better with minimal or no shielding,i.e. tube amps. But isn't the sheilding supposed to keep out the RFI amd EMI? Might depend on the system's location,etc. Maybe Don found some sheilding that was just more flexible; not necessarily less sheilding. You don't see Don posting much, but maybe he'll chime in briefly for an explanation.