Methods and apparatus for performing spectral filtering of channel estimates corresponding to a communications channel used to transmit a multi-tone signal are described. A channel estimate is examined to identify portions where significant multi-path interference is present. Real, as opposed to complex, low pass filters are used to perform spectral filtering on the channel estimate to produce a filtered channel estimate. Values corresponding to portions of the channel estimate determined to correspond to areas where significant multi-path interference is present are replaced with the original unfiltered channel estimate values to generate a selectively filtered channel estimate. By using unfiltered channel estimate values in areas of multi-path interference, the errors introduced in such areas by real filtering are avoided without the need to resort to complex filtering.