Confused and need help

I would go with what rcimci and david_ten mentioned.

It may be you. It may not be your equipment. Or, as they used to say, varietas delectat.

Whatever the reason, if you can, try it at home.

2x parasound A21

I presume this means that you have used the two A21s in bridged mode. The manual for the A21 states as follows:

You should not connect a speaker with an impedance of less than 8 Ω to the A 21 when it is configured for bridged mono operation....

... We strongly recommend against using speakers rated at less than 8 Ω when bridging.

The Maggie 1.7 has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. The Harbeth 30.2 has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Both speakers are therefore not good matches for bridged A21s.

Also, given that a single A21 operating in stereo mode is quite powerful (spec’d at 250 watts into 8 ohms and 400 watts into 4 ohms), and given that both speakers have sensitivities in the vicinity of 86 db or so, I would think it likely that a single A21 operated in stereo mode would provide enough power anyway.

And, finally, I see that the Harbeth has a "power handling" spec of 150 watts "programme," which is to say that a single A21 operating in stereo mode can most likely supply more than twice as much power into its 6 ohm impedance than the speaker can safely handle.

Regards,
-- Al

What leads you to believe that the Maggies are "going faulty"?  Is it just because they've lost some sparkle?  If so, I'm with @mijostyn.  When was the last time you replaced the tubes in the LS17?  Good NOS tubes in a preamp can definitely bring back that sparkle.  Sometimes it happens so gradually you don't even realize it was gone until you replace the tubes.

I completely agree with david_ten. Years go by, unless you have oodles of money, we make changes slowly. Our brains change slowly. Our ears change slowly. Our perception changes slowly. What we never imagined may all of a sudden be reality. All of a sudden a mismatch may become a match and the opposite. For instance, I have had some Roxy Music vinyl in my collection for a long time. Never cared for it. Tonight, I said let's give it a chance and loved it. Why? No clue. But sounded fabulous. Same system as last 5 years. Nobody ever takes into account aging as a major factor in this hobby. Why not? Every other aspect of society does. I can't imagine that I hear the music anything close to that which I did 20 years ago. Still love it the same. Actually, love it more. My brain now loves the sound, the variation, the skill, the talent, the time and artistry it took to create the recording. In the end however, it is still my ears sending the data through a neuro network of past memories to my brain and down to the pleasure receptors in my body which make the experience. Any hiccup in that chain results in alteration of perception and thus one's interpretation of the beauty.

+1 mofimadness
Location, location, location.

I paired Maggie 1.7 with a Parasound hint Halo and the sound was phenomenal do I'm surprised that they may be your problem. Maybe an audio friend can bring an amp or pre so you can experiment.

No surprise that the post preceding mine was deleted by our resident Deleter In Chief. Here is her post, for continuity and context purposes:

elizabeth 8,001 posts11-07-2019 11:30am

I would blame the Parasound gear as a wild guess. Agree try the Maggies with something, anything else.

mofimadness+1

   I strongly agree with mofi and in home auditioning of speakers. My current speakers had been out for years and were recommended by the most knowledgable people I knew. Listening to them in stores and at shows they seemed sleepy to me so I passed on them.  
   What I didn't know was a great deal. What I heard as attributes in other speakers were actually weaknesses. At home and by a one on one comparison what I heard as being sleepy turned out to be a cohesive point source and musicality. The difference was immediate and so obvious that my family heard the difference just as quickly as I did.
   I haven't made a major system purchase in years.

There isn’t anything to "blame."

Consider your Parasound A21 + ARC LS17SE + 1.7s as a whole or as a unified unit.

This threesome isn’t working for you [Emphasis You, the OP].

The Parasound A21 + ARC LS17SE + Harbeth 30.2 threesome didn’t work either.

The Ayre (integrated) + Harbeth 30.2 twosome worked.

Insight: something new and different from what you currently have "worked" for you.

Bring the Ayre and Harbeth home and compare it to the Ayre + 1.7 to figure it out. You may be at a point where something new and different is what you [now] prefer.

If you can possibly borrow an amp, Ayre or otherwise, by all means try that out on your Maggies before making any major decisions.

It was just a bad match IMO.Warm amp paired with warm speakers = lifeless presentation.

I am not sure I would describe warm and full speakers as being accurate. Ayre is very good equipment but it is solid state and as such it may be a bit sterile/dry when compared with the best tube gear. The nice thing about tubes is that tube components tend to sound much better than S.S. at lower listening levels. 

Matt, perhaps it is not your 1.7s that is the problem but one of you other pieces. Ayre is good equipment but it is not knock you over the head better than what you have now. If I were a betting man I would say it is the LS17SE. Check it out!

Mike

Not surprised. With all due respect to your Parasound gear, Ayre is in a different level

Ayre is great equipment and they provide great support

Synergy.  Period.

Also, I would really encourage you to bring the speakers home where you are familiar with the sound.

Rooms play a huge part in system setup and SYNERGY.

Good luck.

Do i bite the bullet and purchase the 30.2 and the Ayre or do i try the Ayre with my maggies? Grrrrrr i hate this hobby sometimes.
i dont understand what has gone wrong! 

Just like relationships, some pairings simply work better. Being Ayre helps. : )