Just to closeout this topic in case it pops up in a search, I received a response from Dave Patterson of Lake Country. The following is what he wrote:
"The black pads are still the same.
The only pads that have changed slightly are the blue foam and the yellow foam.
Both of which I really like. I still use black more myself, but the new yellow pad is awesome for cutting and still getting a good finish."
So, he confirmed that the black pads have not changed (just the color of the velcro backing).