Various embodiments of the present inventions are related to adaptive calibration of NPFIR filters in a data detector. For example, an apparatus for calibrating a noise predictive filter is disclosed, including a data detector operable to generate detected values for data sectors and having an embedded noise predictive finite impulse response filter. The apparatus also includes a comparator operable to determine whether a quality metric for a current one of the data sectors meets a noise threshold. The apparatus also includes a filter calibration circuit operable to adapt a number of filter coefficients for the noise predictive finite impulse response filter based on the detected values for the data sectors, and to omit the detected values for the current one of the data sectors from adaptation for one of the filter coefficients if the quality metric for the current one of the data sectors does not meet the noise threshold.