A receiver includes a front-end amplifier, a sampler, and a decision-feedback equalizer. The front-end amplifier provides for amplifying a received input signal to yield an amplified input signal. The sampler provides for sampling the amplified input signal so as to yield a sampler output signal. The sampler output signal is a function of the amplified input signal and a reference signal coupled to a reference input of the sampler. The decision feedback equalizer provides for adjusting the reference signal as a function of feedback based at least in part on the sampler output signal.