Personally, I'd opt for the short side hide box and run Canister intake
and
outflow tubes there.

Actually not a bad idea and I have not ruled canister filtering out.

As for noise I have a Tidepool SOS overflow/skimmer box and it is dead
silent. It took some adjusting but once you get it it doesn't make a noise
and so far has not needed any adjustment. The only noise I hear is the water
running into the sump. I keep the hose down in the water so unless the water
gets low I don't even hear that. But there is the ugly black box hanging in
the tank. I have thought of attaching a Java fern to it to help hide it. :-)

The thing I like about a sump is I can hide my heater(s),pumps, etc in
there. Plus I love the safety of no leaks. If power goes out it simple
stops. When power comes on it restarts. No fuss no muss.
--
Kudzu *\\
The man that always tells the truth never has to remember what he said