Most equipment - amps, cd players etc. - have the cable inputs at the back whilst most of the switches, knobs and so on are on the front (although some gear also have switches at the back, perhaps less often used ones).
I've found over the years that access to the back of my systems is difficult because of the positioning of the racks so I've often put equipment sideways, so that cables come out the left side, say, and the switching is on the right. This allows easier access to cables which, whilst not regularly changed, do occassionally need to be accessed.
Of course I appreciate this may not be aesthetically pleasing but I've never really cared about that. It's also not practical when equipment uses a remote control.
Has consideration ever been given to other locations for the cable sockets in equipment - on top, on the side, or even on the front?
