I'm particularly intrigued by the stereo linking and the fact that they have a on/off switch and volume controller on the front - I never know why so manufacturers put these on the back...
I suppose that the rear mounting of controls are contingent on the particular design & placement of the drivers,the particular size of the front baffle a manufacturer chooses to go with and where they decide to mount the electronics leading to the attenuator & power controls,as this is a factor that effects the internal design,in terms of acoustics(that would be my guess).
As with volume controls though,the general principle of studio monitors,is that the gain controls are set to their ideal mark and that any changes in volume that need to be made,are done via your audio interface/mixer.
What really puzzles me though,is that it seems to me,that a power switch is small enough to be mounted just about anywhere and Alesis mounts their power switch on the top of their M1 active 520's & 620's...which is really cool and convenient.
It's a shame & a grave disappoint to me,that those Alesis monitors are so noisy & convoluted,because their design concept was very practical & aesthetically pleasing,but the components & amplifiers in them are garbage.
Oddly enough,is that not only are those monitors still in production despite them being 7 years old now,they are now marketed as being "DJ" monitors.
-Thom