Many years ago, Bicycling! magazine tested two bikes the same month, one costing nearly 10x the other. Just for grins, they swapped wheels on the bikes. Everyone on staff preferred riding the inexpensive bike with the top-shelf wheels over the superbike with the garden-variety wheels.
So, new wheels? Lighter, higher-quality bearings, fresh, light wt. grease, tubeless. It's only money.