As a librarian, I had to often remind people that audiobooks were still books, and should not be looked down upon as less-than. I don't know if I would say they are better, just different. Reading and listening, at least to me, mean activating different intellectual processes. More importantly, I can listen while I drive, do chores, etc. but I can't read while I drive, for example. People with dyslexia and vision impairment find print an obstacle, but audio a way around that.