I thought this was interesting and want to share it here.
 
https://mixcoach.com/ten-reasons-mixbus-protools/
 
Michael

I don't have Mixbuss yet but I keep reading that it sounds better and this article emphasized that point.
I wonder if it has a console emulator built-in, invisible to the user?
What else could it be? Is it just hype and it sounds like every other DAW? 
In theory, with no effects or console emulation, every DAW's mixing buss should sound identical because all it is doing is summing all the digital numbers together and sending the sum to the output.
I'm perplexed by this seeming mystery of the "better sounding DAW".
BTW, I think Sonar sounds great.  

It does sound better. There is a console emulator built in. A Harrison console in fact.  That one is hard to beat. It is there all the time.  Even with no plugins, on any track/buss EQ and dynamics and tape saturation it still sounds different.
 
The EQ's on the tracks, buses and the master buss are all a little different which is nice.  Built in dynamics everywhere are nice too.
 
I still use Studio One as my main DAW but sometimes export stems into Mixbus and do final mixes there instead.
 
It does not suit every genre of music though.  I tried mastering a Hip Hop track in Mixbus and it did not go so well.  Studio One killed it for sound so there you go.
 
I think if you are making music that could have sounded good on analog multitrack and an analog mixer then you might like Mixbus.  It is often on sale for a great proce so it is well worth picking up.  It seems to be behaving itself now as well.

Mike,
 
Like every tool out there it is not a radical day and night difference.
 
In my limited tests it sounds more "alive" to me. Again, not radical, just alive.
 
Next week I plan on setting up an A/B of a SONAR mix and MB3 to be as identical as possible and post the results.

If you'd post that, Ed, it would be very cool and informative.
 
I am certain it is $79 all the time.
 
Michael

bapu
Mike,
Like every tool out there it is not a radical day and night difference.
In my limited tests it sounds more "alive" to me. Again, not radical, just alive.
Next week I plan on setting up an A/B of a SONAR mix and MB3 to be as identical as possible and post the results.

Thanks, Ed and that would be great if you could post an A/B when you get time.
If I could actually hear the difference it would prod me into purchasing it sooner.
 
@Jeff, Thanks Jeff. I just went looking around on the Harrison site and found this.
This does (somewhat) prove that it has a Harrison console emulator. They don't call it a console emulator but we can interpret it as that: 
 
 "Film mixers wanted the control surface to -work and sound- exactly like the analog mixer they were using for previous projects. This required us to develop a digital audio engine that operated and sounded exactly like the analog mixer they were using for previous projects. This transition was not undertaken by any other company, and it has provided us with techniques and proprietary technology that we have incorporated into all of our high-end mixers. Mixbus gives us an opportunity to share this technology with a much wider range of users."
 

Mixbuss is my go-to console emulator.

Yep, it sounds great. A few of the cons...
It doesn't work with everything. A few VSTs may not work, and a few VSTis may not work.
Currently it will hang after exporting. Harrision says a fix is ready for the next release.
It will naturally use more cpu as every track, and bus have the console, eq and comp active at all times.
The 8 buses have console, eq comp and tape sims working in the background at all times too.
It's great for that mixing with a console work flow and sound, but not as efficient as a digital daw.
Having said that...I really like it! With the added midi and improved performance you can track and work in it
if you want to. I let Sonar do the heavy lifting and use Mixbus primarily as a mixing and mastering tool.

clintmartin
Yep, it sounds great. A few of the cons...
It doesn't work with everything. A few VSTs may not work, and a few VSTis may not work.
Currently it will hang after exporting. Harrision says a fix is ready for the next release.
It will naturally use more cpu as every track, and bus have the console, eq and comp active at all times.
The 8 buses have console, eq comp and tape sims working in the background at all times too.
It's great for that mixing with a console work flow and sound, but not as efficient as a digital daw.
Having said that...I really like it! With the added midi and improved performance you can track and work in it
if you want to. I let Sonar do the heavy lifting and use Mixbus primarily as a mixing and mastering tool.

 
This is how I see it - do all the writing, experimentation and arranging in Sonar (as well as a rough mix), then take the unprocessed stems out into Mixbus for mixing. I've just started playing with this on a track now and I find that even before you get into the superior sound from the console & tape emulations, the psychological aspect of starting afresh in a new DAW is very liberating. It takes you away from all the mess and clutter of the project and into a whole new environment. A bit like when you work from home but nip out to Starbucks with the laptop for a change of scenery, lol....
 
And it also feels very nice. The faders and the meters are great. 

Jeff nailed it. I wouldn't say that Mixbus sounds better, just different. I use Mixbus for live tracking of groups more than a workstation DAW and have been very pleased with the workflow and results. It is worth every penny to have it if you are searching for a mastering mix-type program. There is a definite difference in the sound of any audio you throw in to Mixbus. 
Still, I don't think there is anything so magical about it's sound that you couldn't get the same results with the proper settings and plugins in any other DAW out there.