Just to clarify the sound levels involved:
An unsuppressed 16" .223 would be around 160 decibels.
Suppressed with a high quality suppressor that same .223 is about 130 decibels.
According to OSHA, that is about the same sound level as being 100m from a jet during takeoff.
At a sound level of 101 decibels (suppressor and earplugs), you are still 16 decibels above the threshold OSHA considers safe for exposure to intermittent sounds 8 hours a day.