Set up advice needed!

Fair warning, this is going to be a long explanation


Okay, so I’m debating about what I should do. My TA-10 is up in the top area circled. It can’t go under the monitor because it’s both:
A) Not tall enough to clear completely without going between the metal guard over the tube and the transformer
B) Too thick to fit without eating too much into the space for the speakers.
As a fix for this, I’ve considered moving it down to the spot indicated in the picture. This would put it in a much more convenient spot for a number of reasons. However, the 3’ RCA cable I have to go from it to the JDS Labs Ol Switcher under the right side of the screen with the TaoTronics BT5 Sender/Reciever on it won’t reach. Now, these two devices are the central hubs of where everything will be connected to, so things are gonna get a little crazy.
TA-10:

  • USB in (either laptop or desktop, whichever I feel like at the time)
  • AUX 1 RCA to 3.5mm from Ol Switcher
  • Line Out RCA to RCA to Ol Switcher

XD-05

  • USB in (same as TA-10)
  • Digital in optical out of TT into mini-toslink
  • 3.5mm line out to TT

TaoTronics TT-BA014

  • 3.5mm in from XD-05 (can passthrough)
  • optical out to mini-toslink into XD-05
  • 3.5mm out to Ol Switcher

JDS Labs Ol Switcher

  • RCA in from TA-10
  • 3.5mm in from TT
  • 3.5mm to RCA out to TA-10
  • RCA out to iLoud Micros

Now, I’ve got ~$11.60 to spend. I need to get:

Technically optional (with reasons posted)

  • 10’ USB-A male to USB-A female to USB in for XD-05 to laptop or desktop as stock cable will not reach, however, could still BT to TT and optical in, but don’t know if I could still line out without USB in. $1.79
  • Monoprice Micro USB OTG Adapter for use with phone on the go, for obvious reasons, but could live without… $1.43

Now here’s the kicker: I can’t find a RCA extension cheap without it being crazy long (12’+) and having to order multiple extensions (cause they only do one side, and I shouldn’t need to explain why this is out of the question). The other options I see are:
A) forget about one of the optional cables, and get this one for $4.75
B) get this cable that seems to be of lesser quality, but is $1.05
C) price out an RCA to 3.5mm adapter and a 3.5mm cable long enough to reach (4-5’ MINIMUM, probably 5-6’)

TLDR: I’m looking for advice on which way to go about this shit.
Please keep in mind that prices are in USD, and do not include local (5.5%) sales tax or shipping (seems to come up to ~$4 super saver)

1 Like

Ehm, yes, all of the above (probably).

Seriously:

  • What do you need to connect?
  • Does the connection change? (Daily?, Monthly?, Every plannet alignment?)
  • Where is what you want to connect?
  • How far are the two things apart?

Having a “wishlist” is good. Do you have an “inventory list”?
I ask because drawers/cable racks and very little idea what I have on hand.

For my laptop? Technically, nothing.
For my desktop? Power, display, mouse, keyboard.
Everything else isn’t do or die.

As I’ll have to put the tower up every weekday(damn Job Corps rules), and I take my laptop with me to class along with the stock cable for the XD-05 and my mouse… Every weekday that’s not a federal holiday for the USB. Otherwise, whenever I feel like it.

As for what I have:
2x 3’ M RCA
1x 4’ 3.5mm TRS M to RCA M
1x 1.5’ 3.5mm aux cable
1x 2’ 3.5mm aux cable
1x 10" 3.5mm F to RCA M adapter
1x 3’ optical cable.
1x 10’ USB B to USB A
1x 3’ USB A M to USB A F
Various USB charging cables of varying lengths

To put it simply: Do I buy a cheaper RCA that looks like I bought the genaric shit from Walmart and move the TA-10, buy the nicer cable and hold off on something else, or do I leave the TA-10 right where it fucking is and just buy the other shit?