Pretty much any Shimano wheelset will take an 8/9/10 speed cassette. If it says 10 speed only, then you obviously can't use it, but if it says 9/10 speed, you can fit an 8 on there too. The bigger bang for the buck would be a wheelcover from wheelbuilder.com. I agree with Nymtnbkr. Neuvations are a good compromise. Generally a pretty solid wheel for a good price. And if anything goes wrong, the owner has been very quick to rectify the problem.
Also, the performance Forte Titans have been getting good reviews from people on this board for under $200.