Just tried with two layers of electrical tape instead of masking tape - definitely a difference this time, and I like it!
Thanks for the info, Nugwin.. I've had mine for exactly a week and been using them pretty heavily as well. They're definitely better than they were out of the box, so no doubt they'll still improve a bit more more. Might even end up taking the tape back off :)
Edit - up to three layers of electrical tape, sounds perfect to me now! The difference between two and three layers could just be placebo, don't know how much difference it would make.. but I don't really care, this is how I'm leaving them for now!
Second edit - just a quick cameraphone shot to help out with the pictures, it's really simple:
To remove the pad, just pull on the leathery cushion part, and it pops right out - there are clips along the edges that hold it in. To replace, you pretty much just push it back on so that it clips back in!
Edited by Dom252 - 2/17/12 at 2:38pm