The speed comping aloneis worth it IMHO, but there's plenty of other plus points already mentioned too.

I had so much trouble with X2 that I went to S1.
 
Addictive drums and Nomad Factory plugs, are making me take another look at X3.
 
I still use S1 but I'm thinking I can jump back and forth some etc., like S1 lacks some midi things I'm used to (list view) and other things.
 
I think I found out I can use addictive with S1 and I can use the melodyne editor with X3 since I bought it for S1.
 
The Nomad Factory plugs should run in S1 as well?
 
Yeah, that's the ticket a hybrid workstation S1X3
 
Thanks

I could be wrong but I thought the Nomad Factory plugs were Sonar only.  Someone may correct me if I am wrong on this.

Another thumbs up here for Melodyne integration alone being worth the upgrade.
I had never used Melodyne before and now I just love it, I can lose hours upon hours though just Molodyning (is that a word) things and playing around with them.
 
Addictive drums was new to me too and it just sounds waaaay better than anything else I was using for live drum sounds.

I think each version of the X series has gone through incremental, evolutionary changes where the sum is greater than any individual parts. X2a was stable for me but there seemed that there was apparently random weirdness that would occur. To me X3 has been awesome in this regard...I feel more at ease when I'm about to do some task.
 
The bundled goodies were nice but not useful for me but I am someone who does not want 15 compressors, 2 or 3 will do nicely thank you. I already had Melodyne Editor so the bundling wasn't of value but the ARA implementation is fan-freaking-tastic.
 
Also really like the QCEQ fly-out window. All in all the upgrade comes highly recommended from me.
 
Regards,

I still use S1 for album assembly. I definitely prefer Sonar as a DAW, but S1 is a great replacement for CD Architect, which I think Sony has abandoned. That said, Sonar is almost a suitable CD Architect replacement...maybe something to think about for X4 or X5, except CDs do seem to be on the way out...
 
One unexpected X3 surprise is that I'm using it more and more for mastering. There are some things it can do, like painless crossfades, that are harder to do in standard digital audio editors. Throw Ozone in the master bus, and then you have all the diagnostic stuff you need as well.
 
Zooming out, another element of X3 that's hard to quantify is its versatility. That's always been a Sonar thing - I could jump from narration to songwriting to remixing to soundtracks - but all the little interface changes in X3 make for a more fluid and unified workflow in any application. I have never made music so easily since X3 came along.

I'm having trouble seeing what is it you get with X3producer?
 
 
Like this is something you have to pay extra for right?

Nomad Factory Blue Tubes FX

Classic analog for your digital studio.

The Studio Mixing Suite includes a stunning set of 19 different dynamic, EQ, and effects processors from Nomad Factory. This suite is influenced by vintage style gear that dominated the legendary analog studios where classic tracks were born.
There is a module for every situation in this bundle. You can load up the Dual Phaser, Dual Chorus, Oilcan Echo, or the 3D Tempo Delay and never have to touch your pedal board again. Sculpt and shape your mixes with 1 or all 6 of the supplied parametric, graphic, or programmable EQs and then apply one of our dynamics processors to keep your levels under control and glued together.
 
 
Thanks

Because its prettier! Like Wayne said, TRACK COLORS, man!

tacman7
I'm having trouble seeing what is it you get with X3producer?
 

It is all here http://www.cakewalk.com/products/sonar/versions.aspx the Blue Tubes FX are called the Studio Mixing Suite on this page

X2 was very stable for me, X3 has been unbreakable.