problems with 24 bit cd players

have you tried Audio Research CD3MkII in your system?
Or better yet CD7?

So what is your aversion to a DAC?

You are misguided to be hung up on an output tube. The digital to analog portion has to be solid state. You can add a tube to the output for bufferring and/or to add some gain and/or to distort the signal in some way to make it more "tubey," but you certainly don't need a tube to have a fine sounding player or DAC.

And why are you hung up on 20 bits. By definition it can't be anything other than 16 bits and be NonOS. All NonOS players/DACS are 16 bit. Wavelength, Altmann, Scott Nixon, Paradesia, etc. are all 16 bit.

Mr. Tennis - knowing you don't have a preference for a DAC, I'll still throw one out there. The Monarchy M24 uses a 20-bit DAC chip (for Redbook). You might want to look at the review Lynn Olson did in Positive Feedback (see link below) or for a more technical discussion of non-os DAC chips and why Lynn feels the M24 20-bit technology is superior, the other link will take you to that article. I own a couple non-os DACs and like them very much, but upon hearing the M24, which I now own, I was very impressed. It also features a tube output stage (not a buffer) and can double as a preamp (which can be bypassed if you only want to use it as a DAC). I put in some Siemens NOS tubes and the DAC really sings.

BTW - if I recall you're in SoCal. If you want to audition an M24 I'd be happy to let you hear mine in your system.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/monarchy_m24.htm

http://www.clarisonus.com/blog/?p=80#more-80

Could the "problem" be traced to your choice of speakers?? Magnepans are not known for mid-bass prowness nor relaxed high frequencies.

The Paradisea DAC is a small unit. As I recall, it's about 8"x5"x1 1/2". It'll fit just about anywhere including on top of your present CD player (does it have a digital output?).

It produces a nice euphonic sound, and at $500 it's relatively inexpensive.