He was most likely using a non-slow preset.
--psy-rdoq 10.0 is only set starting at --preset slow and slower.
This is why --tune grain actually looks quite good on medium or fast preset.
@katzenjoghurt:
Simply try --preset slow --profile main10 --output-depth 10 --no-sao at a CRF between 17 and 20.
Maybe that helps with bitrate and quality.