A circuit detects symbols communicated between multiple transmitting antennas and multiple receiving antennas (MIMO). Distance blocks are coupled in a sequence according to an ordering of the transmitting antennas. The respective distance block associated with each transmitting antenna determines a distance value for each pairing of one or more candidates and a symbol in a constellation. A respective selector block is coupled between each successive pair of distance blocks in the sequence. The respective selector block selects the one or more candidates for the successive distance block as a limited number of the pairings having smaller ones of the distance values. A limit block coupled to the selector blocks provides the limited number to each selector block. An identifier block selects the pairing having a smaller one of the distance values from the last distance block in the sequence.