In our experience, every company occasionally produces uneven, undesirable seams. A good seam is tight and almost imperceptible when you run your finger across it. Once you've selected a rim model, carefully compare several pairs and choose the smoothest before making the purchase. Fortunately, there's more consensus on spoke design than on rims. The best advice I can give is to use the strongest spokes you can get.
Spoke strength has a great bearing on a wheel's reliability.
DT, Wheelsmith, and Alpina. Stainless steel is the best material for spokes. Plated brass nipples are almost universally favored because of their low-friction threads, which make truing easier. Aluminum nipples, which save approximately one ounce per wheel, should be used only on special-purpose wheels destined for light duty. The price for saving that precious weight may be paid later in truing difficulties.