Really. From my friends, the backing plate on the EBCs brake better than the compound did. Think about it. Friction material is always black; if you color stuff, you have to dilute the blackness with a color, and then you lose braking capabilities.
I would *never* chintz on brake pads. Ever. That's the last thing that I would ever want to go south.
Call Matt Nicholson at Carbotech if you ever want to learn too much about brakes.
http://www.carbotecheng.com/contact.htm If you have old crappy brake pads, they'll put their compound onto your old backing plates too. You might remember MadMatt from the legenfrickindary altima thread.