total wheel weights are a combo of all the parts you use. You can compromise weight in other areas, rims, hubs, spokes, cassette, tires, tubes or tubeless
spoke weight is very low in the big picture, but are the 2x4s that hold up the house.
Having a 16-1700 wheelset over a 15xx gram set can be made up with a higher grade cassette or tires.
Most OEM road wheels unless uber high end bikes start with a 19-2300gram wheelset, you will not drop 2lbs(905grams) alone on that unless you move to Zipp 303/404 tubuars.
at the end of the day, you just want the wheels to work and be ready for the next month/yr of riding w/o an issue.
IMO best way to improve
feel of the bike is the tires
#1 , air pressure
#2 (see
#1 ), and cockpits parts (stem, bars, seatpost, saddle, pedals, shoes)
If you want to drop weight off the bikes, tires, wheelset, cassette, cranks, pedals, cockpit parts, brakes would be my order. I usually comply to cockpits parts first over everything. Playing both hands, the only thing stock on your bike will be the frame and fork
