That even great quality streamer streaming great hi-rez digital format cannot outperform cheap CD-player playing red-book CD or it's only my 'illusion'?
Depends how much effort you put into streaming. Not necessarily big $'s needed.
My streaming setup sounds better than any of the cheap CD players I've owned - and it doesn't use any Uber priced streamer. My setup is computer/ethernet based (Roon/Qobuz/HQPlayer) with the affordable UltraRendu streaming to my DAC. Sounds superb to me and I have access to an huge music library.
I was a dedicated vinylphile, but these are golden times for the music lover IMO.