A softener removes calcium and iron from the water, and replaces it with sodium (sodium doesn’t scale in pipes like calcium does). If your water is very hard, the increased sodium will make the water salty. For this reason, many folks who need a softener to protect plumbing and water heaters install a bypass around the cold water facet in the kitchen – in that way, you get unsoftened water to drink. Other than that, soft water is nice in the laundry and on the skin.

Filters remove specific materials; a woven filter removes sediment (turbidity). An activated carbon filter removes halogens (Chlorine, etc) and organics (gasoline, benzene, etc) If you have none of those issues, then you don’t need a filter. Filters do not remove calcium (hard water)

You mention sediment. Take a raw sample of your water for analysis, or you can do it yourself. Pass it through increasing smaller filters and buy what you need, and no more! For instance, if a regular coffee filter removes all of the sediment, then get a filter that is rated for 25 microns. If the water is still cloudy after a coffee filter, you’re probably looking at a 1.5 micron filter, which is the next most common filter down.

Remember,the smaller the filter, the more often you will need to change it.