Nick, no it does not charge at the same time, but the Classic has lasted 4 hours and still showed life in the battery. I am very happy with the XcanV2, though it can be quite revealing on poor recordings such as Radiohead and Elbow where there is actual distortion and fizz on the treble. The XcanV2 still comes up on ebay every so often. It can also be modified by MF themselves and another company called Rock Grotto, which will be my next upgrade. MF aim for a smooth musical presentation which I thinks complements the forward sound of the Grados, so you get the best of both worlds; a lively presentation that is not too sharp.