I agree. Efficiency and quality of spectrum doesn't matter as much because the emission of light can be shaped around the plant. I think that creates an efficiency by itself compared to top-lighting from a single panel.
I use Cree LED lightbulbs and PAR38 spots/floods from Home Depot. They're moderately efficient at around 90lm/w inside the glass diffusion globe (but with the rubber protective coating rubbed off. They're about 100lm/w with the glass globe removed. But, that creates an electrocution hazard.). I had
very good results at just 22w/sq ft. I think that was due to light being supplied from the sides; if it had been all toplight it would have required 30w/sq ft for equivalent results.
Another efficiency is that the strip lights point forward. The "lightbulbs" I use are omni-directional, recreating a legacy design with chips pointing in the opposite direction (and then a reflector directs the light where it needs to go -- but causing a loss of lumens).
So, it probably doesn't matter much.
@Boatguy posted showing some strip lights he got from Mouser. Maybe he can provide more detail about what he bought, how it compares to the $10 coils on Amazon. If I were fanatical about efficiency (and heat reduction) I'd spend extra to buy from a reputable source like Mouser.
Another factor to consider is the strip's
IP rating. Some are relatively heavy-duty with a thick plastic covering, matching end caps. When I considered playing with 5730 I was going to get unprotected strips (I think they have a sprayed on rubber film to at least protect the phosphors from scratching off.). I think there'd be a lot of loss from the IP65 stuff. I think I was looking at IP35.