shielded vs unshielded pros and cons?

Audio interconnects are generally carrying low-voltage signals which means any picked up interference, from unrelated sources but also from nearby cables, can significantly impact the signal fidelity.

I think all audio interconnects are shielded? There's a bunch of information on this topic if you search online. It's power cables and speaker cables that are usually unshielded.

"...I think all audio interconnects are shielded?..."

No they are not all shielded. A shielded cable can help reject noise if there is noise nearby. If you are in a low-noise environment and your system is not picking anything up, shielding is not required. 

Shielded cables have been an absolute necessity in my systems between SUT and phono pre. 

Other than cost, there is no downside to shielded cables.

There are vendors on ebay who are small-scale makers of ICs, who claim sonic differences between shielded and unshielded versions of what is otherwise the same cable.

For ICs I go with shielded cables, especially when using long runs.

If the environment is free of EMI and RFI noise and the cables are short, unshielded cable should suffice. In theory shielding colors sound, so pick your poison.

I have no idea how you would measure how much EMI and RFI noise and determine whether it’s worth shielding or not.

As little as I can get away with, weaves help a lot.. Phono IC can get noisy. Being aware of placement.. and routing..  There are some noisy places inner city, what else you going to do.. The right shielding in the right place.. God sent..

Using shielded cables just to use them.. They can be kinda lifeless if you're not careful..

Regards

@rsjm80, 
I use a brand of cables called Ocellia.  The owner offers both versions for his interconnect cables.  He believes that unshielded is the better sounding alternative.  However if your audio system is in an environment where RFI and/or EMI is an issue then he recommends shielded cables. 

I've used his unshielded Silver Reference for years with no problems. So scenario dependent. 
Charles 

Many years ago, I tried the shielded and unshielded version of otherwise identical Kimber cable between my tonearm and phono stage.  At this very noise sensitive location, noise intruded with the unshielded cable, but the sound was better—more lively and open sounding.  If you can get away with it, unshielded might be better sounding.

"noise intruded with the unshielded cable, but the sound was better—more lively and open sounding".

That is what the maker of my cables essentially said the sonic difference would be. I’ve always been able to get by without needing shielded cables. But certainly they could be a poor choice if noise /electrical sourced nterference is present. Go unshielded if you do not have  this intrusive noise issue.
Charles

Thank you each and everyone one that has responded! You distilled the explaintons so that I was easily able to understand the difference now.Thank you this helps. :)

I literally just logged in to ask this exact question. I’ve been apprehensively looking at the Decware Silver Reference and DH Labs Silver Pulse interconnects, both of which are unshielded and claim to employ noise rejecting cable geometry. Seems like I recall reading that shielding is less critical for short runs? I dunno…

Depends on the design I will take shielded every time.

I'll take shielded and balanced every time as well.  This has 3 conductors.  An outer shield/foil and two signal carrying wires. The shield should only be connected to ground at the source.

There are many audio IC's which are not shielded, and in many situations that will be OK.  Kimber is one brand that comes to mind on unshielded.  That is, most of the time you won't be picking up radio stations from your record player or something truly bad like that.

Shielding does add a tiny bit of capacitance to the cable, as the foil or braid acts like a capacitor to the signal and ground wires.  Perhaps this is why some claim to hear a dulling of the sound.  Or perhaps they get less euphonic noise?

Ask Mike Morrow or Ray Kimber (Russ Andrews)
I run unshielded unbalanced ICs on my phono as low as a.26 mV MC. Quieter than LP surface noise.
They sound  better than the shielded AQs they replaced.

Who knows where noise can intrude in a system.  I recently talked with a repair person for a local shop who had to run down RFI problems in a system.  It turns out that the long speaker cables were acting as an antenna and injected noise into the system; who knew that speaker cables would benefit from shielding?

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