For me, Lazuli Reference cable + 'the right tubes' in my Liquid Platinum really helped. Much more cost effective than toilet paper, since even sturdy tissue eventually wears out
Seriously, a second alternative is pad swapping. I found the Elex pads got me close to the sound I was looking for, and I was pretty happy. They did nudge the sound a bit further towards warmer/less sharp/less detailed than I really wanted though. I only had SS amps at the time and, when I got the Laz Ref cable, I was in a bit of a quandary. Pairing that cable with the Elex pads definitely took the sound too far. Then the LP showed up and, with Siemens NOS CCa and E188CC tubes, the sound got pretty close to 'just right' with the stock pads. The Elex pads have been sitting in a box ever since.
BTW, I tried the Dekoni fenestrated sheepskin pads but did not like them at all -- too much lost detail, and bloomy bass.
All my ears/my gear, of course.
I will check if there’s a place around me that I may be able to do that. I think Gramaphone in Maryland may have some options. Maybe let me swap some pads to try.