Sorry, if the clear preference for mat of a recording/mastering engineer, bassist and sax player who play on that recording, put eventually to CD , are not enough to at least give it a shadow of a doubt, then I do not know what could convince you.
I could list many, almost countless testimonies from musicians regarding "CD"s - I used to give them copies of their playing recorded to CD-Rs with and without the mat, marked so that they could possibly not know which is which ( I kept a small notebook ) - and asked them which copy they liked better. It was way over 90 % votes for the one made with the mat - despite they all played it at first of course without the mat. Only the notebook knew whether "A" denotes CD-R recorded with and "B" without the CD mat - or vice-versa.
I think it is enough on the CD mat theme. Info is there, I am NOT affiliated with ANY of the sellers, I am NOT a manufacturer, occasionally I would order either for me or for friends, with a sample or two in addition for "stock" or reserve should I break any of my workhorse CD mats.
HOUG !