Directional?

Gasbose

A shielded cable has a foil or braided sleeve around the insulated conductors and is only attached to one end of the cable on the plug to the ground. Typically the shield is on the the end of the cable away from the source component. Power cords are similar with the shield only tied to the plug end that plugs into the wall receptacle. If you tie the shield to both ends of the cable then it’s no longer a shield but basically a ground which the cable already has. The shield is basically picking up EM/RFI and transferring that to the end of the cable before it reaches the signal conductors. Braids, twisting the conductors help to cancel noise as well.

As with anything in audio, best to try for yourself and go with what sounds best to you. A lot of cables are not shielded but my experience and ears tell me there is still a difference. I find that when you run a shielded cable in the incorrect direction thes stage collapses - you lose openness and things seem less relaxed.

Basically the shield is not intended to pass the signal from one component to the other but pick up outside noise between the components so not to interfere with the signal. The shield is only tied to one side at the ground. Cable geometry is a lot more complex than this. Hope this helps or makes sense.

Without intentionally wanting or meaning to plagiarize @nonoise, "no, not again".

I mark the direction of the cables I build for one reason. So once burned in if the owner pulls them off and back on he can be sure he is putting them back  in the same direction the signal originally burned in the cable. 

"Directionality and Burn-in" Let me put on my Tin Foil hat and think about it!

Uh, guys, no one is disputing that shielded cables are (usually) directional. So the question is really about, or should be about, non-shielded cables. Let me answer a question with a question. Why do many BIG audiophile cable manufacturers like Audioquest control directionality of their all their cables, including non shielded cables, power cords and HDMI cables? Anti Cables controls directionality and they don’t have shields or even jackets. Hel-loo!! Hint: it’s probably not (rpt not) to drum up business by appealing to audiophiles’ innate curiosity or that they think the terminology “directionality” is cool.

note: graphene is more effective than tin (aluminum) so a graphene hat will (theoretically) be more effective, no?