Not all cobs are created equal bailey. It's like the epistar in mars vs the Cree in apache tech. Epistar are made to be as cheap as possible and cost pennies per piece. A Cree xp-G3 leds cost a few bucks each.
Cobs no matter the brand are just a bunch of small leds printed in a board. If you pack them with shit you end up with a shit board if you pack it with gold your doing all right. Lol.
With the recent discovery of citizen cobs you can get a very efficient light for 12 dollars each. As you increase efficiency the cost goes up. 1812 cob cost 17 dollars. Then you just need to power them. I always suggest good drivers as well since their efficiency is a direct relation to the cobs efficiency. It's very simple with a little help and that's what I'm here for.
Just remember efficiency is photons-heat ratio. Epistar is around 20% efficient a general starting point with quality cobs is 50+% efficient. I'd rather have 1/2 my watts be heat than 80% and that's why efficiency is so important. It's simple to run, wire and mount single cobs over hundreds of little leds making DIY a breeze. If it's a mars conversion your a little limited since using the old drivers is the most cost effective option.
@Jupiter did a kind led conversion and his final numbers were 2-3 times the light for less wattage. That's with a 1695$ light!!!!! I think the conversion cost him under 200$
