This has been discussed many times here. We installed both a water softener and whole house filter and love them. NOTE: we have water softeners for decades back up North, so the regular water here was somewhat of a shock between the hardness and the chlorine.
So back to your question, NO this equipment is NOT required, it is person preference.
If you decide to install this equipment, be sure to shop around and get advice. There are units at the big box stores (combination) that will do what you want for around $500, and there are companies in the area that will use various tactics to sell you a system for $5000 or more, that do the same thing. Be aware of any company that offers to test your water and then shows you reports of how bad the villages water is. The water meets or is better than all government limits, but it is hard and can smell of chlorine.
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Pennsylvania, for 60+ years, most recently, Allentown, now TV. 
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