AES Europe 2026

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a sonification
system that maps live heart rate data to real-time spectral
filtering of a runner's preferred music. Assessed using a
within-subjects design (n = 13), the system employs
high-pass; low-pass filters to indicate deviations from
target heart rate zones, providing instantaneous
biofeedback without requiring visual attention.
Quantitative analysis revealed no statistically significant
differences in target zone accuracy or response time
between auditory, visual,; combined conditions. However,
qualitative thematic analysis identified a clear division
in user preference. Participants favouring the auditory
condition demonstrated faster mean response times to audio
biofeedback. Findings suggest that while sonification
promotes environmental focus; "gamifies" training, its
efficacy is highly dependent on individual processing
styles; music familiarity.