It sounds to me like your source files are digital, am I right? Well, even it's an analog source, into the Ghost, then into your DAT, then out S/PDIF to the CD burner.
The DA20 does not have good converters, IMO. If you're coming out S/PDIF into the CD Burner, the burner may have 24 bit converters but it has to reduce it to 16 bit for the CD. Who knows what quality the converters in the CD burner are? Ideally the level is the same from the DA20 to the CD burner since it is via S/PDIF, but you cannot assume that. You may be hearing increased level on the CD and thinking that it sounds better. In a perfect world the DAT should be represented on the CD when transfering digitally, but that certainly does not always happen.
What you need is a good 24 bit ADC out of the Ghost, that can do a proper job of converting to 16 bit into your CD burner via S/PDIF. Then you'll hear the advantage of 24 bit! Forget the DAT.