Been a Sonar user sice 2XL but I no longer have a Windows PC so can't wait for mac version (hoping this actually happens). Currently using Logic Pro X and love it. Auria/Auria Pro on iPad is amazing. Have used Cubase, traktion and Reaper but Sonar and Logic are by far my favorites.

I tried 
Pro Tools, Cubase  ,Studio One ; Bitwig ,Logic,
AbletonLive.
Which DAW for which user is nowadays a questiion of workflow.
Splat has imo the best workflow and is very easy to learn.
If I had to choose another DAW,
I would take Cubase for handmade music with few synths
cause is slowly  getting as easy as  Sonar.
The Steinberg interfaces include the Cubase AI version which
is a good starting point.
For EDM,House ,Techno aso I would choose Ableton cause it´s as stable as a rock.
Never heard of a "Live"  performance interrupted by an Ableton Live crash.
 
And as Elepha 3 mentioned, on a MAC Logic has  the best workflow aso.
 
I recommend the test versions of all the Apps available to find out
which workflow fits best to your needs.
 

ProTools - not versatile enough and too expensive.
FL Studio - I use occasionally to create drum loops and modern synth tracks.
Cubase - I had too many stability issues => went to SONAR which worked very well with my system (in mid 2000's).
Cool Edit Pro and Adobe Audition - it was good in early 2000's for audio but not for MIDI. Now I use Audition for editing and mastering but not for multi-tracking.
Reaper - stability issues and not as versatile as SONAR.
Studio One - built-in Melodyne is attractive but SONAR has it, too. Audio engine is robust, they say but SONAR's has been improved a lot in the past 16 months.
 
SONAR rocks. :)
 
 

Mixing concepts transfer just fine between daws.

Sometimes, while using another daw you discover something you didn't understand before.

I use RME tools and Linux Ubuntu studio in addition to Sonar. I am by far the most efficient with sonar, but it isn't my only tool.

I own Studio One Artist 2, Tracktion and Mixbus3 in addition to SONAR. 
I do not use Studio One or Tracktion.  I have tried Audacity and Cubase in the past, but SONAR has always been my go to DAW.
 
I do use the Mixbus for final mastering.  It has that secret sauce that makes my mixes better.  I believe it was bapu that pointed me there when it was on sale and he was right it does sound better in the end even if I don't use any plugins and just import stereo mix and export the final result.
 
 

patm300e
 
I do use the Mixbus for final mastering.  It has that secret sauce that makes my mixes better.  I believe it was bapu that pointed me there when it was on sale and he was right it does sound better in the end even if I don't use any plugins and just import stereo mix and export the final result.
 

Fascinating!  I was not aware of this.  Apparently Harrison Mixbus is a proprietary extension of the open–source Ardour project.
 
This seems to be the secret sauce: Mixbus enhances Ardour by providing critical mixing functions in a knob-per-function interface called "True Analog Mixing"(tm).
https://community.ardour.org/node/3011
http://www.soundonsound.c...iews/harrison-mixbus-3

I've tried, and am proficient, with all of them. But what I use is:
 

• SONAR for the studio, when travelling (thank you, WASAPI!!), and for 80% of mastering
• Ableton Live and Traktor for live performance
• Studio One for album assembly (and the other 20% of mastering)

 
Honorable mention to:
 

• Sound Forge and Wavelab when I need to do deep waveform surgery
• Pro Tools, because people give me Pro Tools sessions (which I convert immediately to SONAR)
• Logic Pro X on my MacBook Pro

 
Biggest missed opportunity:
 
Sound Forge/Sony (now Magix) Acid. If it had been given some love and a Matrix view, there would be no Ableton Live, FL Studio, or Bitwig because Acid would have been unbeatable.
 
Most intuitive interface:
 
Passport Master Tracks Pro (although it was MIDI-only).
 
 

I stated with Cubase on a school computer back way back in 2000.  After that I tried out FL Studio 3.5, Reason, and Ableton.  I just couldn't get my head around Reason at all and had as many troubles learning Ableton, but ran well with FL Studio.  At one point I've even tried out Logic Pro, it was alright, I'm just not a Mac guy. Then when I finally started getting some gear the M Box Mini came with Pro Tools and the keyboard I got came with a copy of Sonar 6 L E and I just took to Sonar and have since upgraded to Sonar Platinum.  I would still use FL to be portable until the last couple of updates to Sonar made it run flawlessly on my Surface Pro.

Glad to see I'm not the only one that loved Master Tracks Pro. That was the easiest midi system I ever used. 
 
I've looked at most of the products mentioned, but Sonar is the best thing since Master Tracks for me. My hardware also seems to like it more than the competition. When I read about others having Sonar crash issues it reminds me how just about everything other than Sonar runs on my system. Maybe that's why I stuck with Sonar.

I started out in the hardware realm and my first introduction to software was Cubase which seemed to suit composers more than engineers. Pro tools brought me on the journey into software mix engineering but like others I got tired of the seemingly arrogant approach to its users. Sonar for me replicated the mind-set and workflow of engineers from my era best, although I still use Pro tools reluctantly and Ableton willingly for transferring stuff into a format suitable for someone to take on the road reliably. If I had a mac I would jump on Logic. I do use Audacity only for its capability of capturing streaming audio in the simplest most effective way. I use Ozone advanced for mastering/post work not Sonar.
Sonar has by far has the best inclusive vendor hosted forums, even if occasionally you wish people had RTFM before posting questions for the first time.