Stand-alone player better than my PS3

[moviesforlife]

Hello,

My PS3 slim has always been my blu-ray player of choice, especially since it was once considered a reference player when first introduced.

I now want to upgrade(?) to a standard (non-3-D, non-4K) stand-alone player, given that my PS3's audio/video technology is arguably dated and I can only assume I can purchase a new blu-ray player for a fraction of the cost of what I paid for my $240.00 PS3 some four years ago. A stand-alone that can render even better audio/video than my slim with the unending advance in technology at consistently lower prices.

It's like, you don't know what you don't know that you don't know. My PS3 still renders gorgeous video and stunning audio but I'd like to experience a reasonably-priced stand-alone that may be even more stunning, which would then allow me to put my PS3 in the basement for gaming only.

Thank you for any specific suggestions, like the venerable SONY BDP-S6700 or some other players that are clear upgrades over my slim.