I owned 3.5s for a couple of years. If you can supply enough power with the new amp and enough listening room to let them breathe (after a relo I couldn't provide such space, hence the sale), I'm confident that they will impress. I'm a bit surprised to find in this thread that some people would pass on the 3.5 in favor of the 1.6, regardless of price, but I guess tastes do vary.
OTOH, if new is important, you may want to consider the Eminent Tech hybrid at ca.$1800. Bass performance is closer to the 3.5, but it is a hybrid and you may/may not be comfortable with the dynamic to planar cross region. FWIW, I feel that ET has done a good job there, but that is certainly a matter of judgement.
OTOH, if new is important, you may want to consider the Eminent Tech hybrid at ca.$1800. Bass performance is closer to the 3.5, but it is a hybrid and you may/may not be comfortable with the dynamic to planar cross region. FWIW, I feel that ET has done a good job there, but that is certainly a matter of judgement.