I suppose I should say something here, since I've had both the M22s and the M50s. I listened to each, with the M22s stacked atop the 50s. I didn't find the 50s to be forward at all. The 22s, on the other hand are. Initially, they sounded real close to one another. After a couple weeks the minor differences seemed to grow and the 22s seemed to overtake them. I did find that the midrange of the M50s sound a hair muddier than the 22s, but the M50s were an easier listen. They are a really pleasant sounding speaker and they do bass really nice. The M22s, on the other hand are what I would call the ultimate when it comes to detail and they possess a 3D sound quality which is absent from the M50s. I ended up keeping the M22s. Why, you might ask? It was the superior soundstage which sealed the deal. The M22s have a better midrange, wheras the M50s do bass better. It is true the M22s are more forward. Some have said they are slightly more forward, but to my ears the difference isn't slight.
If you have a Paradigm dealer near you, give a listen to some Monitor 7s and then listen to a pair of studio 20s. I think these are close to a M50/M22 comparison.
