Upgrade Feedback

Hi Tony.
 
The latest Platinum is just streets ahead of X1 in performance, reliability and features. You don't need to install X1 first, just a new install. 8.1 is OK but WIN10 is the best windows yet in my view. Very stable and fast. Make sure you do all updates for windows, get your computer updates done to, and for your interface.
 
There are some excellent tips available online (google) for optimising win10 for DAWS. Focusrite has a simple list of things to do and try on their website.
 
Some people seem to have had issues installing win10 and SONAR from scratch, but I had zero issues really, along with a number of others here, but if you run into troubles, there are a lot of answer already on this forum, and help always available. Good luck with it all. cheers. Dave.

Platinum is the best Sonar, and it works great with Windows 10

You will do well updating to 2016 Platinum from X1. There are lots of added features and performance improvements with SONAR. You will especially see this with the Platinum Edition. Also Windows 10 is the best Windows OS, yet. There are significant improvements in Windows 10 for DAW users, mainly an improved audio stack API (which improves round-trip latency for WDM and WASAPI drivers by a 15ms cut right out of the box) and there is an improved MIDI API. The only non-typical concern for updating to Windows 10 is privacy issues with the Windows 10 EULA. The privacy issues mainly deal with Microsoft tracking your OS usage, monitoring and/or collecting your personal data, and possibly turning over your personal data to government agencies without notifying the user about it. But, there are lots of settings that can be tweaked to lessen the amount of spying and data sent to Microsoft. In my opinion, overall, using some Windows 10 privacy tweaks makes Windows 10 a better OS than previous OS versions for DAW users, concerning performance! But I wish there was more we could do about the spying and personal data exposure!
 
With that said, I would strongly recommend updating to, SONAR Platinum 2016 and Windows 10 Professional (using the privacy tweaks). Try to be an informed user before you make a decision to upgrade, as the ultimate responsibility for the decision to upgrade will be, solely, yours. Here are just a few of the many articles addressing Windows 10  privacy concerns and how to tweak some of the relevant settings: http://www.networkworld.com/article/2957205/microsoft-subnet/tweaks-to-windows-10-settings-for-privacy.html ,   http://www.thewindowsclub.com/tools-tweak-privacy-settings-windows-10 , and https://software.informer.com/Stories/how-to-fix-windows-10s-privacy-issues-with-windows-tweaker.html .
 
I recommend that you do some more searching on the Internet to read more about the Windows 10 privacy concerns. After that, if you weigh the costs to update, you can make a more informed decision. I decided, after reading about the privacy concerns, and giving it some thought, with maybe taking some precautions (using some of the privacy settings tweaks, for instance,) the update to Windows 10 is worth doing.
 
Cya around.

I love my Platinum but it would help to get an understanding of your workflow before recommending anything. 
E.g. VocalSync is gone since X3 and not everybody enjoyed the switch to Melodyne, especially since the basic version has less features than VocalSync did. You can still use VocalSync in Platinum if you leave X1 installed I think, but its stability hasn't improved. Also, the take comping system changed since X3. I really like it but if you depended heavily on the way the lanes/layers worked before it may take some adjusting. Obviously there are some new instruments and fx, Addictive Drums in particular is really top notch third party content. The QuadCurve EQ is new and while it has some minor limitations I can't see anything but good for that, compared to X1. 
 
What are your aims? Band recording? Home production? Any live instruments or vocals? 

Sanderxpander
E.g. VocalSync is gone since X3 and not everybody enjoyed the switch to Melodyne, especially since the basic version has less features than VocalSync did. You can still use VocalSync in Platinum if you leave X1 installed I think, but its stability hasn't improved.

I know you mean V-Vocal and not VocalSync, but wanted to point this out to avoid confusion.

A LOT has happened since X1. Really, that will be a pretty radical upgrade. Basic way of working remains the same, but with many, many refinements and additions.
 
It's easier to talk about specific benefits if you tell us a bit more about what kind of music you do, but I can't imagine anyone regretting that upgrade.