Doug Schroeder Method, Double ic

The HAVE folks make their standard Canare StarQuad RCA-terminated audio IC’s with the braided shield spliced together with the two blue conductors. The specification I asked them to follow for the Dual Canare StarQuad assemblies includes fully-connected shields in parallel with the 4 paralleled blue conductors. So it’s a completely shielded design. 

I ordered an electrically unshielded version of that cable. (The braided shields are not tied to any conductor in the assembly.). We will see how it sounds. 

celander

To shield or not to shield - That is the question.  Thank you for pioneering this with the HAVE Star Quad so there is an apples to apples comparison for RCA.

As I mentioned, I have some HAVE co-joined, shielded XLR ICs and AES/EBU cable(s) coming.    Have successfully used shielded and unshielded XLRs.  Prefer shielded AES/EBU.

Yes shield xlr. When shielding RCA interconnects I think they sound best with the shield connected at one end only, not both ends. However, whether you connect the braided copper shield to one end, both ends, or no ends, I find the shield does impact the sound by darkening it and making it sound slightly more closed in.

I also prefer the sound of all natural silk and cotton conductor coverings and outer jackets. I find these natural fibers help the cable sound more natural in tone and overall presentation. I will build my test SM IC set using Duelund 20 gauge stranded copper in oil impregnated cotton conductors with a cotton outer jacket.

Many ways to build a great sounding IC. Some very innovative as represented by Taras22 and others.

Grannyring I can’t wait to hear your homemade SM, it should be good, if you think it’s good, let us know how much you are selling them...

My HAVE contact told me that some folks who order standard RCA-terminated audio IC’s using the Canare StarQuad wire sometimes request to have the Shield connected to the ground conductors at one terminus. They didn’t have any explanation for it, as they are a custom house and do as the customer wishes.

I’ve heard folks doing this with power cords, where I recall the shield is combined with ground conductor at the plug end (wall input) only, leaving the IEC plug unconnected to the shield.