I was in a similar situation shortly ago. I had a 16in target crowned barrel on my ar, and that thing would not only ring your bell but blinded the crap outta me on low light shots! It was tolerable on the range but really annoying in hunting scenarios.
Fast forward, I rebarreled with an ARP 16in scout profile mid length, and decided on the Levang linear comp. haven't shot it a ton but I am super impressed! It is much more pleasant to shoot, the perceived sound or blast is half or less of the target crowned barrel. I would say it is quieter than a friends 18in mid length with an expensive flash hider. Have not been able to check on the flash hiding properties yet.
Oh and as far as it effecting accuracy, don't worry a bit. The ARP barrels are top notch, and you definitely can't beat them for the money. With the Levang and an initial load work up, I put up a .288" group at 100yds. I am still going to try a few more powders and bullets but any future load has big shoes to fill. I need to order an ARP 6.8 barrel now, that thing will thump a yote good with an 85gr bullet at 3000fps out of a 16in barreled AR!
Also the Levang or equivalent only costs around 35 bucks, pretty cheap when it comes to muzzle devices.