Method and system for optimally equalizing distortion of an optical data channel carrying coherent optical signals with a given analog bandwidth B. A receiving end with IQ paths receives signals and a balanced detector detects signals in each path. The bandwidth of the detected signals is reduced by a factor of N by filtering the output of each path using an AAF with a cutoff frequency optimized to the analog bandwidth 2B/N of each path, where the AAF has deterministic attributes and introducing Known ISI. The signal is sampled at the AAF output by an ADC, at a sampling rate of 2B/N. The samples of each path are post-processed by a digital processor operating at a data rate of 2B/N, where post-processing represents the compensation of the distortion and the input data stream is reconstructed by optimally decoding the output of the processor using a decoder, which compensates the ISI.