I’ll third the Vera Link class D amps you velcro to the back of a pair of passive speakers. If you also buy a Wiim Mini, you’ve got a perfect first system for less than $300. And if the speakers are pretty good, it can sound great!
Looking for an all-in-one just-add-speakers streamer for my son to take to college
Cambridge Audio Evo 75 is probably the top of the range, but maybe a BlueSound Powernode is good enough? Maybe there is something cheaper that fits the bill?
My son is not (yet) an audiophile, so sufficient volume may be the most important, but interested in any thoughts folks have on this topic.