I don't know what it is exactly and I can't see a noticeable graphic difference that matters but Sonar X3c Producer is the most fun DAW I have yet used. It seems to elicit joy in its use. I just like it and get a good feeling when its being used. Is it its stability? Is it how easy it is to get along with it? How simple things are to do? I can't put my finger on it. All I do know is its a gas!
 
CW has brought wow back into computer audio. Thank you CW. 

I agree, is it the colors? It makes me happy! And I'm really pleased over Melodynes integration as well, it is so much more easy-to-use than V-Vocal even if I'm sure that a great tool too.

I agree John! Just something about it.

Lay off that damn cool aid. you had way too much. Its clouding your judgment!!
 
 

I'm interested to know how you're using it - mainly audio or vst or what? you're perennially happy

I just found out about X3. After some google research, looks like Cakewalk did a bang up job. 
 
I thought Sonar's slip editing was already the bees knees, this comp track thing looks to be an improvement. 
 
Melodyne integration... not a trial offer, great. 
 
Still love Lounge Lizard & Addictive drums. Great for more "roots" oriented music than that synthy stuff they offered back before the X series. The Nomad effects look great. 
 
Who knows, after I've sewn some oats, maybe I'll come back. Just wanted to say Cakewalk put out a very solid effort, you guys should be happy. 
 
Congrats to you all who stuck with them. 

There's kool aid? I didn't get my kool aid.
 
X3 is still pretty spiffy though... and I prefer fruit juice... or beer.

Without bigging it up too much (because we only know a little) X3D I suspect will be the icing on the cake, and (this sounds weird) I'm actually enjoying the anticipation. Still don't like take lanes right now but everybody has their bugbear with any software.

There's something about Sonar X3. Could be a new movie title.

John
I don't know what it is exactly and I can't see a noticeable graphic difference that matters but Sonar X3c Producer is the most fun DAW I have yet used. It seems to elicit joy in its use. I just like it and get a good feeling when its being used. Is it its stability? Is it how easy it is to get along with it? How simple things are to do? I can't put my finger on it. All I do know is its a gas!
 
CW has brought wow back into computer audio. Thank you CW. 

I feel exactly the same John, I cant put my finger on it either. I have had X3 for exactly three weeks now, and I have never felt so productive and inspired to sit at my console and compose and put the software through its paces. Your post got me thinking, why ? For me, I can perhaps put it down to at least these reasons:-
 
First and foremost, every other version of Sonar I have had,from V6 onwards, has always crashed on me, infrequently perhaps, but always a little disturbing when it does. X3 has had 100% uptime, with zero crashes on the same DAW hardware and Win 7 64-bit OS that I have ran X1, X1 expanded and X2.
 
Yes, custom track colours too, puts back a much missing feature from beyond Sonar 8.5. 
 
Plug-in management. The default menu layout of VST's seems so much more tidy and logical when inserting softsynths, so it looks and feels like a professional system as well as performing like one. Ditto the VST
auto scanning not interfering with getting up and running on start up.
 
Put that together with future proofing with VST3 capability, and the ARA integration of Melodyne, and I think the sum total of the other enhancements and additional plugins, gives the feeling that this is a toolset that can really get you where you need to get, musically speaking. YMMV of course, but for some of us, I think X3 has reached a critical mass of functionality, stability and useability that wasn't quite there before.
 
Yes, I'm a happy bunny too...
 
Garry Kiosk