Questions about upgrades needed for 3kW system

[Swampy]

So I have been combing forums for hours and have been unable to get a clear answer, so I thought I would start an account and get personally tailored criticism on my "dream build" from people much more wise than myself. Okay, here we go:

Vehicle: 1998 Ford Explorer 4.0L V6, stock 130A(ish) alternator and stock battery(looking to replace with XS power brand).

Amps: Hifonics BRX 2400-1D for 2400W @ 1 ohm, Hifonics BRX 1200.4 for 150W x ch @ 4 ohms.

Sub: single DC Audio lvl 5 18" subwoofer 2 ohm DVC wired to 1 ohm.

5x7 rear comp speakers: (still largely undecided)

MTX Audio TX68 (5x7)

5x7 front door speakers: no clue as of now.

Power wire will be sky-high Ofc power wire and that will also be Big 3 Upgrade wire as well.

Basically from here, what I'm looking to find out (if your still with me) is where exactly my electrical system needs to be at to handle this much extra load. I'm still a noon for the most part as far as car audio goes and this is my first REAL attempt at a good build. So trust me, there is no such thing as an over explanation.

Also as a double whammy, if someone has reputable knowelge in batteries, I have been looking to rebuke a comment I heard a while back. Is it true that the battery(ies) in the system only start to supply current once the circuit has dropped below the 12.5-12.8V the the battery rests at? My understanding was that once the load becomes too much for the alt to handle alone, the total voltage dropped, and once it got down to below ~13.5V the draw would start to even out between the battery(ies) and the alt.

Any insight to any of this long ramble would be greatly appreciated. Now, criticize away.

[lolitskasey]

Do you have a budget as far as amps go? The level 5 is a great choice, But for my sub stage amp i would look into either a DC 3.5k or a Sundown 3.5k great amps that would match up with the level 5 very well. As far as electrical goes, Biggest alt you can fit under your hood (in-case you upgrade in the future) Biggest AGM you can fit under your hood, No less then 2 runs of power from front to back, and 2 batts in the back should be enough to hold your voltage.

[Swampy]

Do you have a budget as far as amps go? The level 5 is a great choice, But for my sub stage amp i would look into either a DC 3.5k or a Sundown 3.5k great amps that would match up with the level 5 very well. As far as electrical goes, Biggest alt you can fit under your hood (in-case you upgrade in the future) Biggest AGM you can fit under your hood, No less then 2 runs of power from front to back, and 2 batts in the back should be enough to hold your voltage.

As far as amps go, yeah I was trying to keep the general initial setup cost low. My idea I guess is to get as good as possible without letting my budget run wild, that way I can leave room to always upgrade in the future. I have on good authority that as far as budget amps for daily driving goes, hifonics was highly recommended. (Only the Brutus series for whatever reason)

[SGT_76]

FWIW...shop the boards! Search the classified's and you'll be amazed at the deals you can find on quality equipment. Case in point for reference sake...a Brutus series BRX2400.1D on Sonic is $300 shipped. For around that same price (~$325-$375) you can find quality amps barely used to LNIB condition rated the same as the BRX, put out more power, cleaner power, and are less power hungry. These deals pop up EVERYDAY, you just have to look for them.

I tell you this because I too started off similar to you when I started planning my build. If you're patient and look, you can end up with a better setup for the same price...or less.

[Swampy]

Thanks man, that's a great call. Good lookin out man, I appreciate it. My level 5 DC 18 is a first generation one so the RMS is a little lower I think. I'm just terrified to drop money into an amp I've never heard of before. I know the power hungry Brutus would make it to where id need two runs to the back battery since the two amps together would pull a lot of current to make that power. Since I plan on doing full runs from + to - on front and back batteries, finding a more efficent amp for around the same price could really help save me some money just in wiring alone.