Reflectionless low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, band-stop, all-pass, all-stop, and multi-band filters, as well as a method for designing such filters is disclosed, along with a method of enhancing the performance of such filters through the use of unmatched sub-networks to realize an optimal frequency response, such as the Chebyshev equal-ripple response. These filters preferably function by absorbing the stop-band portion of the spectrum rather than reflecting it back to the source, which has significant advantages in many different applications. The unmatched sub-networks preferably offer additional degrees of freedom by which element values can be assigned to realize improved cutoff sharpness, stop-band rejection, or other measures of performance. The elements of the filter may be physical passive elements, or synthesized with active circuits, potentially realizing even negative element-values for improved performance.