brian, how's the highs with the shure 81's? i'm looking into a pair for telluride, where there is usually some viscious wind during the day. just worried about chopping off the top end and getting a bunch of mud. also, looks like you're stuffing them into the cairn w/out any protection. do they have a good 'shape memory'?
I haven't run a direct comparison of A81WS vs. no windscreen, but I can tell you my sets from the Grey Fox BG fest last summer - for which I ran the Shure's all weekend - sound fine (my location, on the other hand, was a different matter). My ears on my gear don't notice any rolloff in the highs, although I suppose it's likely there's a tiny amount of rolloff (I think most windscreens do this, even if just a tiny amount). Certainly not 'chopped' at any rate!
Yeah, I do stuff 'em into the Cairn without protection. I can't speak to their shape memory b/c I have enough room in the Cairn they don't get squashed. If I packed them in a tighter spot, I'd put 'em in their cardboard boxes to be safe.