problems with 24 bit cd players


i am searching for a cd player--preferably one with tubes.

i have auditioned a number of them and something is wrong. i perceive a dip in the 100 to 200hz region and a slight peak in the upper mids/lower treble region.

is it possible that one can buy a current production player which is 20 bit and no up sampling ?

i haven't found any, nor am i looking for a dac, although i am aware that there exists non-upsampling dacs.
mrtennis
Why 20 bit and not 24? You can't get from the native 16 bit format of the CD to 20 or 24 bits without some type of data manipulation; some type of sampling/conversion.
i have auditioned a number of them and something is wrong. i perceive a dip in the 100 to 200hz region and a slight peak in the upper mids/lower treble region.

What is your reference? Have you made calibrated microphone tests of what is wrong?

is it possible that one can buy a current production player which is 20 bit and no up sampling ?

Sampling is a time based thing...higher sample rates or up/over sampling can make output filters simpler to design.
I suspect that the designers are simply using a 24 bit/96 Khz DAC and are upsampling the CD data...you can't get 24 bit dynamic range from redbook 16 bits (physically impossible unless some kind of "expander" algorithm is used and this introduces distortion) and therefore I imagine the extra 8 bits are not used. (So don't worry about the extra bits as they are irrelevant in the case of redbook CD)
Mrtennis, I am using a 24 bit Quad cdp-2 and I find just the opposite, a peak in mid-bass and a dip in upper mids. You probably have tried it already.
hi rotarius:

i own this player. i will sell it shortly. it too is lacking in the upper/basss/lower mid range and has too much energy in the upper mids/lower treble. i think 24/192 chips have problems. they present music in a manner i would characterize as "hyper-detailed". i believe a tubed gain or output stage can somewhat offset the effect of the chip, but selecting an appropriate capacitor is also necessary.

i am having a tough time finding a current production player.
MrT,

There also exist non-oversampling single box CD players. The is a version of the Consonance called "Linear" which is non-OS. I think there is also a non-OS player from Audionote.

How about the tube output player from Granite Audio? I think it is a 20 bit unit, but I'm not sure of that.

Enjoy,

TIC