I've had my R70x for about a month now and today I replaced the stock pads with Brainwavz XL micro suede pads with cooling gel. I did not mind the stock pads, but wanted to try out larger pads to try and replicate the comfort of my AD-700, and wanted to try out the cooling gel since its finally starting to warm up here. These are far more comfortable and much roomier than the stock pads and I think my R70x is now more comfortable than my AD700 was. I think they could address some of the problems others were having with their ears touching either the pads or the inner mesh lining. I also notice they take some of the load off of the headband wings, allowing the headphones to sit higher on my head. The headphones are a bit heavier with these pads, but I think the more even weight distribution more than makes up for it. The cooling gel definitely works so far, after about a 90 minute session I still noticed the effect. I will be interested to see how it fares in an all day session, which is the norm for me with these headphones. I think if you're not interested in the cooling gel, the regular XL pads would be a touch lighter, but otherwise the same.
I didn't closely compare the sound before after, but to me they sound pretty much identical, maybe a slightly wider soundstage with the new pads but that could be my imagination.
Attached some pics to try and show the size difference between the pads.