Interconnect with no shield

[Bourneendboy]

I'm interested in a pair of the cables below to go between my headphone amp and Dac.

https://forzaaudioworks.com/en/product.php?id_product=69

Does anyone have any views or experience on non shielded cables?

[Primalsea]

A friend of mine uses Nordost interconnects that have flat conductors with no shields and he doesn’t have a problem with interference. However, he has plenty of room to make sure that the cable is away from anything that might induce noise.

[walpurgis]

I've used Nordost and Townshend unscreened interconnects without any problems. Obviously, I take sensible measures, like not running them alongside mains cable or over power transformers on amps and the like.

I can't think of any good reason for a signal cable not to be screened though.

[Primalsea]

For Nordost much of it is about having the fastest possible signal propagation speed which they claim is down in part to the flat conductors and no shield, if I remember correctly.

[Bigman80]

I don't have to have a shielded cable on any piece of equipment except between turntable and sut/phonostage

I have a couple of pairs in my spare draw and I never had a problem with hum when using them.

[karma67]

ive built and used about 10 pairs of non shielded interconnects and have had no hum problems what so ever.

[Leeken]

Used kimber for years,never had a humm problem from a cable.

[Bourneendboy]

Thanks chaps!

Did they sound any better than shielded cable?
Are there any advantages?

[YNWaN]

My own experience is that unshielded cables actually sound better than the equivalent shielded item.

[maxrob200]

My own experience is that unshielded cables actually sound better than the equivalent shielded item.

Agree. I have made my own interconnects for years and have found that to be the case. Type of Dielectric material used in the insulation or sheathing also affects the sound IMHO

[Bourneendboy]

I have made a pair up and have to say they are very interesting. I think they do sound very good, but I do have a slight hum at high volume and a louder hum if I touch the cable.
Any ideas on this?

Both my headphone amp and Raspberry Pi/Boss Dac don't have an earth connection at the plug, both mains cables are only 2 core.
Is this causing the hum?
Both the amp and cables are silent with a screened cable.

[anthonyTD]

Try twisting them!
I have made a pair up and have to say they are very interesting. I think they do sound very good, but I do have a slight hum at high volume and a louder hum if I touch the cable.
Any ideas on this?

Both my headphone amp and Raspberry Pi/Boss Dac don't have an earth connection at the plug, both mains cables are only 2 core.
Is this causing the hum?
Both the amp and cables are silent with a screened cable.

[YNWaN]

Yes, I suspect the lack of a mains earth is the reason.

[Stryder5]

Ensure your soldering is good and the plugs are tight in the sockets.

In the past I've had a slight hum through poor plug soldering, touching the cable may be indicating this?

Gary

[Barry]

Despite one's intuitive gut feeling, it is quite possible to use 'twin feeder' or 'twisted pair' style cables and not have hum problems. I have made several, and indeed the use of 300 Ohm ribbon twin feeder aerial cable for audio interconnects was "all the rage" in the mid '80.

The secret is not to have a large area between the two conductors, so common mode interference rejection is not compromised, and the opportunity for magnetic flux linkage is minimal.

The speed of propagation is more down to the dielectric used, and not whether the construction is coaxial or not - even a twin feeder or twisted pair has loop inductance.