amp I bought 3 days ago not powering on - electrical engineer advice wanted

Pardon if off topic, but what I meant is this:

If I’m buying a used audio component, I evaluate:

• price
• Electrical compatibility 
• Current operating condition 
• age ~20years may need servicing like recap 
• case condition 
• no smoke

So I’m wondering, do other audiophiles have more effective methods or additional tips?

@kennyc no smoke what? What does it mean?

The rest

• price - GOOD
• Electrical compatibility - GOOD
• Current operating condition  - GREAT (at time of purchase)
• age ~20years may need servicing like recap  - YES
• case condition - GREAT

@parkergetdean ,

I believe he meant if it came from an environment where people smoked.

Cigars, cigarettes, joints, hookah pipes, brisket...

Not the people themselves, although I have seen that.

But that’s a story for another time.

Also, the gear itself smoking might be a potential red flag.

got it. How would I know if someone smoked in the house?

I guess if I picked it up from the house, i could smell it.

How would I know if someone smoked in the house?

The question isn’t whether someone smoke in the house, but if the gear itself smells like an ashtray and stinks up your house.

It can be very, very challenging to get the smoke smell out; even more so if a thoughtful seller doused the thing in Febreze, leaving you to deal with the revolting Febreze stench, which is even harder to get out than smoke.