I wouldn't say the standard RK27 is complete junk. But it's a $20 (retail) wiper that is inside of a lot of good sounding equipment. It does absolutely amaze me that a builder will put together a $5k plus piece of gear & stick a Blue Velvet in it. Stick a bunch of pricey boutique capacitors, resistors, & overpriced rca jacks in a preamp then skimp on the volume control.
I think the consumer would gladly pay a little extra for a volume control that can really take the overall performance to the next level.
The main problem with switching out a pot is that there is rarely any room to make the change. It can be a major pain in the butt & an easy way to add noise if not grounded correctly. You gotta get creative. I just replaced a RK27 in a tube preamp with a Goldpoint SMD attenuator. Better clarity, separation, & depth of stage vs the Velvet. And the GP is just a regular stepped attenuator. I have a couple of Nobles from the 90's that still work well.