Hi Dale,
I have one of the "edge knobs" versions of the Malahit SDRs in transit right now. I'm not fond of that style of knob either... at least it is not the "toggle lever" type of control such as seen on the NanoVNA! Like you I'd rather have a standard rotary knob on a front panel.
Within the last 24 hours, a few eBay sellers have listed a front panel knobs version for about $99 USD, but these have no enclosure at all, and the battery is not included. I also couldn't tell if these units have an internal speaker (I doubt it). The version of Malahit SDR I have on the way includes a PCB-material enclosure and also a speaker and battery.
Have you seen the other version with garish blue & green 3D printed enclosures? Ugh, I say.
It'll be interesting to see how the Chinese Malahit works compared to my Belarus-made BELKA DSP receiver, and my RSPdx.
I do note on the Russian web site for the Malahit that it mentions the project is open source, so perhaps the Chinese models can be considered legitimate versions. I guess that's for the international lawyers to weigh in on. Me, I'll just use and enjoy the receivers

73, Guy