Heuyhoolihan:

Interesting take on the rim. I didn't think to consider factory roundness as a measure, but I guess you're right. I've been working with rims over quite a few the years, and 20+ years ago, it didn't matter who made the rims, the processes were never perfect, and the wheel builder had to work the rim and there was some art in getting a rim round and true. But, yeah, I have noticed that it's less effort these days with some rims that simply lace up and bang, tension up near perfect and are absolutely round. I guess manufacturing has improved over the years.

Well I was going to say that my two measures of rim quality were:

1. Price-Performance

2. Warranty Claims.

And I'm still a cheap skate when it comes to wheels for the masses. But I field far too few warranty claims on any rim, old or new, to have much data. Either my wheels are good wheels and the manufacturer doesn't matter, or that makers all produce a rim which exceed all but the most intense riders and therefore are fairly equal as far as most consumers go.