While I have never owned the 3's, I have owned 2 pairs of the model 2 speakers.
I did once drive them with a 30 watt tube amp, but this was in a small (12x15) room. When I moved them into a 12x26 room, the amp did not have enough power. Bass and highs were rolled off and when I push the amp too hard, the sound would distort and soundstage would collapse.
That said, the 3's need more power than the 2's. If you want tubes and they sound good with tubes, I suggest a pair of the Quicksilver Silver 90 monoblocks. You will have to hunt or wait for these to come up for sale, but you will see them from time to time.
I did once drive them with a 30 watt tube amp, but this was in a small (12x15) room. When I moved them into a 12x26 room, the amp did not have enough power. Bass and highs were rolled off and when I push the amp too hard, the sound would distort and soundstage would collapse.
That said, the 3's need more power than the 2's. If you want tubes and they sound good with tubes, I suggest a pair of the Quicksilver Silver 90 monoblocks. You will have to hunt or wait for these to come up for sale, but you will see them from time to time.