Even a dirt cheap Chromecast Audio is a bitperfect perfect source, and the electronics further down the chain need not be that expensive either. See here for a test using an Audio Precision test bench of the 2x350 watt Yamaha P3500s power amp that until recently sold for some 400-500 euro and that beats many audiophile amplifiers, not just in price. http://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum/amplificateurs-de-puissance-haute-fidelite/mesures-ampli-yamaha-p...
It would be wrong to suggest that any amplifier will do - it is important to have a truly powerful amplifier (such as that Yamaha) to reproduce dynamic peaks. Fancy cables and power conditioners are a waste of money as every physicist can tell you. And every economist can tell you why they are pushed so hard.
The real difference is made by the speakers. They produce the sound, and they are the measurably weakest link. Just look at the frequency response and distortion figures for speakers as compared to electronics. Speakers are the hardest link to get right, and are also the most expensive link to manufacture.
It would be wrong to suggest that any amplifier will do - it is important to have a truly powerful amplifier (such as that Yamaha) to reproduce dynamic peaks. Fancy cables and power conditioners are a waste of money as every physicist can tell you. And every economist can tell you why they are pushed so hard.
The real difference is made by the speakers. They produce the sound, and they are the measurably weakest link. Just look at the frequency response and distortion figures for speakers as compared to electronics. Speakers are the hardest link to get right, and are also the most expensive link to manufacture.