Engineers vs 'Ear'-gineers, who's more correct?

Answer is: neither of them is correct all the time. Especially the case for "engineers" that have limited knowledge.

I'll be mentioning today the topic of directional cables. Because I've seen many engineers not believing in them at all. When there are, in fact, exceptions, that come with engineering logic.

Lets take the most obvious one. Cables have shields, right? To shield them from noise, of course. Now, all you "engineers" don't tell me that twisted pair cables are immune to interference, because the immune part is bullshit. It is resistant, yes, but never immune. For if it is I do not see why FTP (foiled twisted pair) and STP (shielded twisted pair) are invented along with UTP (unshielded twisted pair), and stressing on the unshielded part.

The Belden 89207 is a shielded twisted pair btw. Obviously you know it when you're trying to cut through the copper shield.

So what about shields? Well, the noise that the shield picks up will have to go somewhere, right? And ground would be a good place for it to go (I mean, duh).

So you'll have the shield connected to the ground. So far so good.

But wait, isn't the ground of an unbalanced audio cable shared with the signal return? And since it's unbalanced, isn't the audio signal referenced to ground? (No need to think, because the answer is yes.)

So if that shield is connected to the ground of the receiver, isn't that essentially dumping crap back into the signal?

That's why the shield is usually connected at only one end. And that's the source.

Wouldn't that be a good enough reason to follow the directional markings on that cable, you so-called engineers?

This reasoning holds true for any cable that is not symmetrically designed - perhaps some inductor or choke at one end. While I cannot speak for those that are, this is enough to prove that not ALL directional markings are to be ignored.

Believe with a reason, disbelieve with a reason. That's the engineering way of doing things. Not thinking it is surely wrong before you hear the explanation by the believer. And it's good also, because sometimes the reason can be so amusing, it's a great source of entertainment. Comedy genre.