There are provided cable architectures useful for constructing high-performance audio interconnection cables. Multiple, parallel runs of multiconductor, shielded, twisted pair cable are used to construct both balanced and unbalanced interconnect cables, speaker cables, and power cords. Conductors from each cable run are separated and connected to other conductors from other runs to form composite signal and ground conductors. Shields may be selectively connected to one another and to appropriate pins or terminals of a terminating connector. An overall mother shield may, optionally, be added. Individual runs of cable are braided together. Cables constructed in accordance with the geometries and techniques of the invention sound better than any known cables of the prior art. When measured, the inventive cables exhibit a ratio of capacitance to inductance that is lower that prior art cables. The characteristic impedance of the inventive cables is also lower than cables of the prior art.