Bristol, yes my track meters respond to whatever panning I set as also do my busses and your Main Outs - I can see the left and right meters respond accordingly in all.

OK - so - when you pan your track left - the right meter is empty on the master?  What about the output beyond the master?  It should be in the console view all the way to the right.  If you open console view and press "F" it will "Fit" it into view.  If all is well the output meters here should be identical to the master

squonk2
Bristol, yes my track meters respond to whatever panning I set as also do my busses and your Main Outs - I can see the left and right meters respond accordingly in all.

okay so im just taking a guess you have not tried my suggestion.
 

chuckebaby
drag the audio to a new track feed to the master/no bus.
this will help you eliminate the offender.

 
1- create a new audio track / with no sends or no FX
2- set the output of that new audio track to the master bus section (with no sends or no FX on master bus either)
3- drag the clip in to the new audio track (the one you created in step #1)
4- look, listen, learn.
 
You need to simplify things by stripping down the routing to a bare minimum.
this is the best way to trouble shoot any issue in sonar (or anything in life for that matter)
 

Sorry guys..Im most likely the least qualified guy here but at a guess...could the problem be starting with the input settings of the track.  For example, I use an M Audio interface.  Its a small device with just two inputs.  When I add a new audio track my Sonar defaults the track to stereo input.  If i have my mic plugged into the left port on the M Audio for example i have to change the input in the Inspector to left input.    Could the issue be something along these lines?  Mic plugged into a port but the Inspector view is set to stereo input?   Sorry if Im way off base.  Just throwing in my 2 cents. 

Duke:  when I pan my track left the right meter is empty on the master.  The output id identical to the master and right meter is empty same as master when I pan track left.
 
Chuck:  Tried your suggestion, no difference, still no panning - can see the pan working visually as mentoned above, but nor in my speakers.
 
I have a feeling there may be something wrong with my audio interface setup, I just can't figure out what it is and why I would still see the left and right volume meters showing the panning if the setup was wrong ?

If your Main Outs (Interface) meters are responding correctly to your track panning but you're still getting the signal in both speakers then this surely points to a problem within your monitoring chain so you need to check your interface settings.
Sounds like there is a mono button somewhere which is engaged.
 
Are you connecting to your monitors via a mixing desk? If so this adds another level of complexity which needs to be investigated.

Note: I'm talking about your MAIN OUTS, not your Master Buss:
 

First of all, thanks everyone for great questions and ideas.  The mystery continues... I've been checking through my sound board and monitor stream per the various comments to try to identify something in the sound chain.  Have not solved things, but I have made a couple of observations that may be relevant.  I am using a Presonus Firestudio Project as my Audio Interface.  When I open the control board for the Pre Sonus and I pan any of the channels I can both see and hear distinct right and left panning. I also noticed that any one particular track in Sonar is sending sound through multiple tracks on the pre sonus control board.  Maybe that's normal, my understanding of sound routing is obviously poor.  In Sonar I am only using two main outs, one monitoring the vocal only and the other monitoring the rest of the tracks, nothing looks out of the ordinary here.  I also inserted a new stero track as a test and routed through a new clean bus and it shows left and right panning visually but no audio diff.  In face all the tracks in my project show the same symptom - can see panning visually in the meters, but no panning diff heard int he sound.  Hopefully some of this info stimulates an idea out there.  Included screen caps below as perhaps they will help.
 

 

 
 
 

I don't use the firestudio ,  but you seem to have all of your daw tracks panned centre on it's control panel. For most purposes you should have all of your tracks in Sonar assigned to a single master bus in Sonar, then assign that master bus to two channels on the firestudio, one that is panned hard left, and the other panned hard right. You will then be able to pan tracks in Sonar.

tenfoot is on it, I believe.
I had the same thing happen to me the first time I used my PreSonus AudioBox 1818.
If your FireStudio mixer is like the AudioBox, clicking on the "links" between the channels pans the channels L/R automagically.
Good luck!
 

 
*edited for spelling