Yeah no kidding .. Am thinking about getting a COB 500watt equiv to 1000HID for small flower room. Mainly a testing ground for multi strains, for now at least. Not sure what to look for but am researching.. I do know the better units are $1200 to $3000 yikes.. lol
I had planned out my COB LED array a couple years ago. The "Virtual Grow Room" link below has all the info. I did tons of research, and got lots of good feedback, including from you, if I'm not mistaken. If you build it yourself, it'll save you a lot of money. Putting it together is a little time consuming, but it'll save ya $$$. I'm sure the prices have dropped since I mocked this up, but this should give you an idea of the difference in cost. BTW, this is a
16 COB array, for a 4x4 tent, not a
12, which is more common, and substantially less. Hope this helps.
16 COB LED array
CXB-3590 (72v) $35.00 x 16 = $560.00
MW HLG-320H-C1050B $69.00 x 2 = $138.00
75W - 80W Heatsink $12.00 x16 = $192.00
Angle iron to build the frame $50 (best guess)
Total = $940