regarding shielding


My question...some interconnects have the shielding only connected to one end of the cable ( often the pre amp end) .WHY? If both ends are not connected then there would be no circuit, no current flow and so would there be any effect at all?
Is the idea not to send any generated current from interference to ground so it does not interfere with the signal?
pl_guy
THANKS FOR ALL THE RESPONSES!

My followup question just to be sure...
I have Siltech ST 18 G3 interconnect cable with 1 red, 1 blue insulated conductors and surrounded by braided shielding.. Could you please tell me the best way for me to connect my WBT 108 RCA connectors...
Thanks
Pl_guy, you would connect the red to the RCA center pin (as red is customarily +) and the white to the ring (body) of the WBT RCAconnector. The shield braiding can be separated at one end, and about half the wires trimmed back to where the outer jacket ends -- the other half you twist into a little (uninsulated) conductor and solder one end to the body of the RCA connector (or you can do it along with the white conductor when you solder the white conductor to the RCA connector body.) You only need to do this (with the shield) on one end. If the outer jacket has arrows, then you should connect the shield this way on the end of the cable that the arrows will point to. If no arrows on the outer jacket, I use a piece of green heatshrink denoting 'ground' (along with the red or black heatshrink for channel colors) on the end where the shield is connected to ground.

On the other end, only connect the red and white signal conductors. Then after carefully separating the shield wires, spread them out and using a fine scissors or cutter, carefully trim all the shield wires back to where the outer jacket stops. If you plan ahead ;~) you can have a piece of heatshrink waiting 'up-cable' to slide down and shrink over the place where you trimmed the braid -- just to make sure the braid doesn't touch the (ground) barrel of the RCA connector ;~)