I have both balls right now. In fact I have 3 Dooms and 1 Cobalt bomb. I will compare my Box condition Doom to my box condition Cobalt. Both balls are drilled exactly the same.
Doom (box condition) pin above the bridge 5.5" from pap, cg kicked right to 1oz and no balance hole.
Cobalt Bomb (box condition) pin above the bridge 5.5" from pap, cg kicked right to 1oz and no balance hole.
HOOK: Both balls hook a lot on the back end with this layout. Both balls work best on med oil with the Cobalt being able to handle a little more oil than the Doom in box condition.
CONTROL: Both of these balls are very controllable for reactive pearl balls. Usually reactive pearl balls are not the balls of choice on tough lanes with dry back ends. Both of these balls have worked great for me and were controllable on these type of conditions.
HIT: Both balls hit great. However I have to give the edge to the Doom because the carry is a little better. The Doom is a very forgiving ball that will carry pocket hits that other balls would leave single pins standing.
BACK END: Both balls wheel on the back end. The Doom will flip harder than the Cobalt. The Cobalt seems to arc more than the Doom. Both balls will cover almost the same number of boards but if the lanes are really dry on the back end the Doom will cover more.
OVERALL: The Doom and the Cobalt are very similar balls. Both react really well. I have not had a chance to change the cover on the Cobalt like I have with my Dooms. The Doom can handle anything from dry lanes all the way to heavy oil depending on the cover changes and drill layouts.
The Cobalt is a very good ball that I like a lot. It hits hard and carry's good. It will give a big back end reaction that is very controllable for a reactive pearl. Don't kid yourself this ball will move on the back end but will not flip as hard as the Doom. It does handle a little more oil than the Doom.
If the lanes get dry the Doom can still be used while the Cobalt may hook too much over all. The Doom is great for med all the way to some dry in it's box condition. The Cobalt is great for light to the heavier side of med in it's box condition.
For my personal favorite I choose the Doom. There are several reasons why I choose the Doom over the Cobalt. First, the Doom is a lot cheaper than the Cobalt. Next the Doom will flip harder and carry a little better than the Cobalt. Also I can use the Doom all the way too dry lanes where I would end up putting the Cobalt in the bag.
If your looking for a reactive pearl both of these balls would be a great choice. If you want a ball that will arc a little more than flip then go with the Cobalt. If you want a ball too flip more then go with the Doom.
If you want a ball that is more versatile then choose the Doom. The Doom can handle some dry lanes where the Coablt would hook too much. Now on the other hand the Coablt can handle a little more oil than the Doom in there box condition. However it's very easy to dull the Doom. My Doom dulled can handle heavier oil with ease. So to me the Doom is more versatile.
Like I have said both balls are great. I like the Doom a little more. Both of these balls will have a place in my bag for next season. If the back ends are just way too dry but I still want too use a reactive pearl the Cobalt is the ball to grab. If I need a ball to really flip on the back end and carry like crazy then the Doom is the ball to grab. Both have there place.
I hope this helps. Sorry for the long winded reply. The best bang for the buck is the Doom. In fact, depending on where you buy the ball you could just pick up 2 Dooms for the price of 1 Cobalt. Then you can drill both Dooms the exact same and keep one in box condition and the other dulled to 1000 grit.
Edited on 4/26/2006 10:30 PM
Edited on 4/26/2006 10:40 PM
