Up until last year sold B&W for 6 years at a shop where I worked.I can't recall the sound of Mission other than it was Brittish sounding though a bit lean.The 602's are a very good over all speaker and I would suggest them.The only thing is they were a bit "tubby" or loose in the bass they give fine sound and a bid sound stage.The 303's can now be gottten used but I haver a bias against them as I much prefered the prior 302 model with it's unique rear panel made of plastic pryramids to break up internal stanbding waves(when sound hit the wall of your room and bounces back at you it collides with front firing sound coming a few mili-seconds latter blurring the sound.Many folks put dampening material on their wall to stop this.This same phenoomena happens inside the 90 degree walls of the speakers.The pyramids broke them up.The back panel of the 302 also stiffened resonaces of the cabinet.Why B&W chenged to the 303 which went for $250 to $300 when they had a speaker that won so many awards I'll never know though.You can get the 302 for $150 used on ebay,Audiogon etc.If you were going to get the 303 new better to get the 302 or a used ($450 list $300 or less used) model 601.The one thing that the 303 has that the 302 didn't was a bit more bass.But with any of these speakers you can get a cheap sub and be very happy.Take my advice and get a refurbished Cambridge Soundworks 10" sub which the company sells on ebay.It's an excellent value at a tad more than $100.Any of these (302,303,601) and the sub will come in at your $450 mark.The 602 will not need a sub.Lastly when my freids ask me to set up a budget system I have done the 302 /sub route for $250 most often but I think their is one other speaker out there that is a PHENOMENAL value.NHT had a speaker now out of production called the super 2.The 1.5 got more press (all good) but the Super 2 is floor standing,slender,good looking and sounds excellent.It listed for $750 but can be picked up used for $400.A bit more bass than the 601 but not as much as the 602 it does not need a sub.Latter when you want to up grade sell any of the above and find a useed B&W 805 Matrix III the last incarnation before the new nautilus.It will be a whole different world.Other true "Audiophile gade speakers to keep in mind when your ship comes in would be the PSB mini ($650 used).I thought the $1600 list 805 Matrix was the best bookshelf high end speaker out there.Only when the $2K Ariel 5 came out did it have competion.Other high end offering like the new 805,the Infinity Intermezzo 2.6,Revel M20's all came in at $2K but the 805 matrix III was in their League and now can be found for $750.I recomend the 302 ($150),NHT Super ($400),B&W 805 Matrix III ($750) and the Maggie 1.6 which at $1600 list and $1100-1200 used to be still "Entry level".The Maggie is so good that folks compare it with speaker costing thousands.If you get a chance to hear a pair you'll get a second job to pick a setr up.There price to performance ratio is so high this is why used folks only take 25% off the list.You have very good electronics and would be be very happy with the speakers you mentioned and the few I added on.See if you can hear the new NHT's in your area if you can and compare them to the B&W sound.And if you have a shop which sells used in the area and they advertise a set of Matrix 805's go listen but be prepared to to ifigure out a way to sell what you have.I now own $6500 speakers but would galdly live with the 805's I used to have and sold to a freind.He has built a system of $600 worth of electronics around them and feel no need to replace them because they have been out classed by the rest of his system.
G'luck
Chazz
G'luck
Chazz