An enhanced tone detector including an adaptive multi-bandpass filter, a tone detector and a filter control unit. The adaptive multi-bandpass filter has a signal input receiving an input signal, a signal output providing a filtered signal, and at least one control input for receiving at least one control signal. The tone detector has an input coupled to the signal output of the adaptive multi-bandpass filter and at least one output providing at least one tone detection signal when a tone event is detected. The filter control unit has a first input receiving the input signal, at least one second input receiving the at least one tone detection signal, and at least one first output providing the at least one control signal. The control signals may include one or more frequency component signals and corresponding bandwidth signals in which the frequency component signals correspond to component frequencies of a tone event.